Ootori Family Reunion
by Barrel of Monkeys
Summary: There's a new student in Ouran High School and why does Kyouya act so familiar around him? Slash.
1. Pro

**Challenge from ShadowOkamiYokai.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Ouran High School Host Club. IF I did I'm sure my bank account wouldn't be as empty.

_Harry Potter/Ouran High Host Club_

_Pairing: Harry P/Kyouya (main: Harry P./Mori)_

_Rating: M_

_Genre: Friendship/Family_

_Summary: There's a new student in Ouran High School and why does Kyouya act so familiar around him?_

**Prologue**

It was a normal everyday life for Haruhi. Getting to school, going to class, dealing with the twins during lunch, and then after school, the Host Club. Although, today seemed a bit different.

Instead of being on the laptop like he normally does, Kyouya was talking to someone on his cell phone. The weird thing though, he had this unusually soft expression on his face, and he also had a small hint of a smile on his face. All the other hosts had also noticed, but decided to point it out or say anything to the Demon that ran their club.

"Do you have anything planned later? Why don't you come down here? Don't worry, it wouldn't be a problem... I'll introduce you to the rest of the club... I'll see you later then." Then after a few more seconds, Kyouya hung up and went back to work on his laptop as if the conversation had never happened.

When it was getting close to closing time, the Host's customers left as Haruhi went around collecting the tea cups, shooting glances at the other hosts time to time. Hikaru and Kaoru were sitting together on the love seat, watching Haruhi as she cleaned up, completely bored now that they no longer had girls to entertain.

"So, Kyouya, who was that you were talking to?" Kaoru asked, attempting to break the endless _tap tap_ from Kyouya's laptop and the _chink chink_ from Haruhi as she carried the dirtied cups to the sink.

Kyouya just smirked while pushing his glasses up, "You'll see. He should be here any minute." Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, "speak of the devil, there he is."

Kyouya shut off the laptop and walked towards the door. He opened it and stepped back to allow the person on the other side to walk inside. The person was a male and looked to be around the same age as Kyouya. His midnight black hair reached to his waist. His eyes were emerald green in colour and his body shape, it wouldn't be noticeable, but they could see a slight feminine figure he had. He wore dark blue jeans, a red t-shirt and a black vest over the entire outfit.

"Guys, I would like for you to meet my cousin, Haru Black. Although, my older sister has come to call him Ruri." Kyouya introduced. The last comment seemed to be an afterthought, but they could hear some small affection hidden within the statement.

They could see why, his eyes shined brighter than the greenest gem.

"Hello. It's nice to finally meet you all. Kyouya told me a lot about you." Haru said with a smile.

Haruhi looked around and from the various expressions on the other hosts faces she knew things were going to get more interesting in the third music room in the south hall.

* * *

I'm going to do a re-write of this story, mainly because I'm not satisfied. Near the end I grew bored with it and rushed to finish it, so I would like to go back and hopefully improve it, so I no longer feel any regret for writing it. My goal is have this finished before the end of June.


	2. Chapter 1

**Warnings:** Slash (means gay, so homophobes please go away), Swearing, Assholes, and some Violence.

**Chapter 1**

Haru barely got the greeting out when he was smothered in the tight embrace of Tamaki Suoh. Through practice, Haru had learned to take a step back and steady himself so he wouldn't be bowled over completely by the animated boy.

"Haru-kun! You finally came to visit me!" The tall energetic blonde screamed into Haru's ear. Haru winced slightly, but that was the only sign of discomfort.

"Hello Tamaki-san. Could you possibly loosen your arms? I think Kyo-kun would like me to meet the other hosts." Haru softly asked, his British accent leaking through. Kyouya was standing close by, his fingers lightly rubbing his temples in agitation at Tamaki's actions. Tamaki backed off slightly before dragging the smaller boy towards the other members and started introductions. He didn't seem to registers Kyouya's mood at all, as he personally introduced Haru.

"This is Hikaru and Kaoru, but be careful they might get you stuck playing their 'Who is Hikaru' game'." The twins both grinned and Haru noted that the Hitachiin twins reminded him greatly of the Weasley twins, especially with those mischievous eyes. He greeted them warmly before Tamaki dragged him to the next host.

The next person, he happily noted, closer to him in height. "This is Fujioka Haruhi, she's the one I was telling you about earlier." Haru gave the cross-dressing girl a warm smile but wasn't able to speak before Tamaki once again manhandled him to the next host.

"The adorable Haninozuka, Mitsukuni or Honey, and the tall silent shadow behind him Morinozuka 'Mori' Takashi." Haru greeted them with a smile, but when he met the dark eyes of Mori, a flush spread across his cheeks. The intense gaze made his stomach flop, and Haru needed to shake his head to compose himself again. He knew he was gay, it wasn't that hard to figure out when he thought Cho Chang would have been prettier without the long hair and breasts. Once you think along those lines, being gay kind of slaps you in the face and tells you to wake up.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you." Haru quickly stepped forward and offered another warm smile to the pair, hoping to cover up his reaction to Mori.

Honey returned the greeting enthusiastically, while Mori simply nodded. Before any type of conversation could begin, Kyouya stepped forward, his eyes were narrowed as he regarded the tall third year.

"Haru is going to start at Ouran Academy soon. He just wrote the entrance exams today." Kyouya placed a hand on Haru's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Yes if everything goes well I should be joining the first year classes next week." Haru spoke softly to the hosts. He bit his bottom lip in nervousness, as if he didn't believe he could really pass the exam. Which he didn't since he only had seven months to learn Japanese, and all the subjects up to a high school level.

The twins finally seemed to lose their patience and pounced on him, taking advantage of his diverted eyes. "So Haru-chan, why are you starting so late into the school year?" one of them asked. "And how close are you to the Demon King to get him to smile?" The other one asked. They had kept their curiosity at bay until now, but they had to let it roam free, just like the Weasley Twins.

"U-um. . ." Haru didn't know how to respond to them. He was used to the Weasley twins but this pair seemed more touchy feely.

"Hikaru. . .Kaoru." Kyouya spoke with a warning in his voice. Instantly the twins backed off and hid behind Haruhi before the Demon King could act further then his warning tone of voice.

Tamaki seemed completely oblivious to Kyouya still and answered the twins with his usual boisterous voice. "Haru-kun moved in with Mother a few months ago from England. I have gone over so many times to visit my cute little Haru-kun."

"Your little Haru-kun?" The twins spoke together, leaning out from behind their shield.

"Yes just like Haruhi is my daughter, Haru is my adorable innocent little son." Tamaki told the group. His eyes were shining in happiness, and a flower backdrop appeared.

"Tamaki-san!" Haru spoke while blushing. He knew he was shorter than average, but Tamaki didn't need to keep pointing it out with his 'little' comments. He had thought he would at least be average height once he got to Japan, but it wasn't to be. That didn't stop his daily wish to finally hit a good growth spurt.

"Mori, Honey! Next week when Haru-kun starts, I need you two to protect his innocence from evil students who will try to steal it!" Haru blushed even deeper at that. He used to be Harry Potter! He didn't need bodyguards. And he especially didn't need anyone to guard his innocence; he had been a fine job of it by himself so far.

"I can look after myself just fine Tamaki-san" Haru tried to argue.

"It's okay Ha-chan! Takashi and I will protect you! Afterwards we can eat cake!" Honey popped into the conversation. Doing the exact opposite of what Haru wanted him to do. Which was to decline the request.

"Really Honey-san, you-"Haru got cut off when the twins decided to rejoin the conversation.

"Good job boss, who knows what kinds of perverts lurk around the corners-" Twin 1 spoke.

"-just waiting to get their filthy hands on cute little boys like Haru." Twin 2 added.

"Waiting for the chance to drag him into an empty room-"

"-and do unmentionable things to his-"

"-innocent little body-"

"-and never return him."

The twins snickered as they saw the state Tamaki was working himself into while picturing evil shadowy men waiting patiently to kidnap Haru. "Oh no, oh no, oh no! Mori, Honey! You have permission to use extreme measures to ensure Haru's safety. Kyouya! Have your family's personal security team following Haru everywhere. Everyone make sure no one gets within touching distance of my little Haru-kun." At the end of Tamaki's speech he quickly latched on to his innocent little Haru and started glaring at the corners of the room, as if waiting for some villain to pop out and steal Haru.

Haru sighed quietly and resigned himself to a clingy Tamaki for the next hour or so if Kyouya didn't do something. He had acted like this ever since he came to visit and found Haru sick. He suddenly started yelling commands to the household staff for hot water bottles, more blankets, more pillows, calling his personal chef for special 'get well' chicken soup, and even ordering Kyouya to call a fleet of doctors to exam him. Haru could only send a pleading look towards his cousin.

"Tamaki we can discuss Haru's security detail later. I wanted to talk to you about going to one of my Family's private beaches since Fujioka expressed an interest in going to the ocean." Kyouya's comment seemed to have done the trick. Not that there was any doubt that Kyouya could reel in Tamaki with a few spoken words. Instantly Tamaki moved and latched onto Haruhi instead.

"Oh Mother that's a wonderful idea! My Haruhi will finally get to see a real beach and we can have so much fun. Hikaru, Kaoru!" Tamaki spoke while he twirled a passive Haruhi around in the air. Haru felt a spot of pity for the girl; he knew how it felt to be manhandled by Tamaki like that.

"On it boss!" The twins spoke before running off.

Haru stealthily slid over to Mori, since Tamaki was still spinning a slightly green Haruhi while talking to Kyouya. Honey was jumping around talking about which cakes tasted best at the beach, valiantly trying to get into the conversation and ensure that Kyouya would place his order.

"Mori-san, what's going on?"

The stoic boy briefly looked in his direction before returning his attention to a bouncing Honey. The third year didn't say anything, and Haru was trying to decide if he should repeat the question, but the tiny blonde came bouncing over and climbed up Mori to sit on his shoulder.

Honey didn't seem to know that they had been in the middle of a conversation –well Haru's attempts at a conversation- and started to ramble on about what the pair would do at the beach together.

Haru felt out of place as he watched the familiar interaction between the groups. The feeling increased when the twins returned with mannequins wearing various female swimsuits and the entire group migrated to choose which one best suited Haruhi. They all had an opinion, and poor Haruhi was stuck watching nearby, unable to voice her own thoughts.

Getting incredibly uncomfortable, since it felt like he was intruding on the Host Clubs private time, Haru silently slipped out of the room to leave the group to the usual activities. The uncomfortable feeling prevented him from feeling the dark eyes followed him as he left.

o.O.o

Kyouya found Haru waiting by the car outside the school. Haru had walked around the school a little, finding his classroom, the gym, and the cafeteria, before going to the car, knowing that when Kyouya finished his business that would be the first place he looked for Haru. The walk had helped settle his mind over everything that was happening.

He always thought that once the whole nasty business with Voldemort was finished, that he would be able to relax and enjoy life. He looked forward to spending time with his friends, goofing off, and the ability to walk around outside of Hogwarts without the fear of death hanging over him. But, it wasn't meant to be. Instead, Haru had to call his mother's family for help, and Petunia had quite happily shoved him off to their extended family in Japan. He had arrived, scared, lonely and unsure of his lot in life, but then the Ootori chauffeur arrived and drove him to a sprawling manor.

With the support if the Ootori family, he dove into studying, learning Japanese so he could go to muggle school, bonding with his cousin Kyouya, and trying to make the best of his new situation. He still held onto some of his wizarding life though. He had Hedwig regularly fly between Japan and Scotland, delivering letters full of pleas for help on some tough business mumbo jumbo he didn't get.

Draco Malfoy had been his saviour in those instances. When his name came out of the goblet, and Ron abandoned him, Haru thought that he could manage without the red-head until he came to his senses. But then Hermione had left this side as well, siding with Ron when Haru refused to discuss the tournament with her, until one day she declared that Ron was probably in the right state of mind and walked away. It had hurt at first, he moped for days, but slowly he tried to get over it. He got used to the loneliness. He had been alone as a child, and he was back to being alone as a teenager.

It happened one day, when Harry was sitting by the lake, taking a break from all the whispers in the castle about him.

_**Flashback**_

_Harry sighed as he watched the wind blow and scatter leaves along the lake. It was a calming sight, watching as they slowly rode the gentle waves to shore, and then get stuck in the sand. He was contemplating just staying here until dinner, to avoid all whispers that followed him. They were all cruel, all doubting his innocence in the goblet fiasco. It tore at him that their opinions where so fickle, and for some reason that he cared about them. He shouldn't! He shouldn't' care about the opinions of others, but he did, and that just frustrated him greatly. Harry growled as he worked himself up, it was ridiculous, the entire situation._

_Suddenly, a shadow fell over him and to his surprise Malfoy sat down beside him. They had sat in silence for a minute before Malfoy just started laughing. Out of nowhere, the blonde had cracked up and kept laughing until he was clutching his stomach and had tears running down his face. _

_Harry had shuffled further away from the very clearly disturbed boy, but Draco stopped him before he got too far away. He grabbed his arm and between chuckles had stated clearly, "Whoever is trying to kill you this time around is doing a much better job of it than those from before."_

_Harry had felt a spike of irritation at Draco's words, but just as quick as it had come, it left. The blonde's words settled into his mind. Malfoy was right, and damn it all to hell, Harry found himself laughing as well. Not because the blonde's words were funny, but the entire situation. His two best friends didn't believe his protests, but his rival, the boy that worked hard to make Harry's days miserable, had believed him. _

_When they calmed down, Harry felt a warmth spread through him. It was familiar warmth of companionship, and it made him ache for it once more. "Thanks Malfoy." Harry didn't think that small statement could ever fully express his gratitude to the blonde for giving him hope, but he couldn't think of any other words._

"_Draco. My name is Draco and you better start using it because Merlin's knows you will need a friend and help of some kind to get through this tournament." Malfoy pointed out, his tone was bored as if it were an everyday conversation to buddy up to your rival._

"_F-friend?" Harry didn't dare to hope. Not with Malfoy. But that warmth was back, and he missed it, and he longed for it, and he wanted to have someone to talk to- even if it was the blonde git that made three years of schooling hell for him._

"_Yes friend. I offered my hand once before, and now that you have been burned by Weasley and can clearly see that I was right in the manner of aligning yourself with better company, I feel that you can make a proper decision this time." Malfoy didn't look at him, but Harry could see how his body tensed, and his face was guarded. Malfoy probably fully expected him to reject him again, but was still willing to put himself out there._

_Harry smiled for the first time in weeks. "Hi, my name is Harry Potter." Harry held out his hand to the blonde and waited._

_Malfoy- Draco- scoffed. "I know who you are; you're that boy I met in the robe shop before first year. You really should have introduced yourself then, it's only proper." Draco grabbed his hand, and gave it a firm shake. "Now that we are friends you must tell me, however did you sneak into Hogsmeade last year?"_

_Harry laughed again, and smiled. It was nice to have a friend again._

_**End Flashback**_

Haru loved that memory. It had been a turning point in his life, and he didn't regret it one bit.

When Haru returned from the graveyard, terrified and injured, it had been Draco who rushed to him first. He had stayed by Haru's side as he told everyone about Voldemort's new body, their dual, and how at the sight of his parents coming from Voldemort's wand, Harry's magic had exploded. The force had killed Voldemort, disintegrating his newly formed body, and shattered the golden dome they were encased in. From that point on Haru had been terrified of his magic. The pure destructive force it carried made him shake, made him wonder what would have happened had the dome not been in place and saved the lives of all the assembled death eaters. Would Haru be a murderer several times over?

It had been Draco that researched Haru's heritage, looking for a place for him to go when he could no longer access his magic from fear. Sirius was out, since the man was still on the run and wasn't mentally capable of helping his godson through the ordeal. He had found the Ootori family, and had gone with Haru when he met with Petunia and asked her to transfer his guardianship over to her Uncle in Japan. The woman had done it gladly, happy to pass him over to those 'yellow monkeys' and never having to see him again. Draco had sneered at the woman for clearly forgetting that, that 'monkey' blood ran in her veins as well, but Haru had just thanked the woman and they left.

Haru spent the summer with Draco, healing from the ordeal and talking to his other family. They had done a full background check on him, telling him it was because they had many people appear before them, claiming some distant familial relation to gain access to the Ootori wealth. The full record check came back positive, that Haru was indeed related to them, and that was enough for him. Except, Yoshiro, the head of the Ootori family, and calmly asked him what he was going to do about his Medical company. It seemed the man had taken care of it so far, but with Haru back in the picture it was only right that he take full control of the company. That had been the first time Haru had owled Draco, begging for help.

The blonde arrived in his with all his splendor and immediately sat down to hold negotiations with Yoshiro. Once Draco had worked out the best possible deal, in his eyes, he had dumbed down the explanation and told him that Yoshiro would continue to manage the company, but Haru would train to take it over once he reached 20. Giving him ample time to get comfortable and learn business. He then suggested they change Harry's name, so that he would fit in better in Japan, and since Japanese business men felt more confident working with people with Japanese names. Draco then chose Haru. Because he was creative like that. But what can you expect from a boy whose insults ranged from 'Potty' to 'Scarhead'.

Now here Haru was, in Japan, watching as his cousin walked towards him, clearly concerned about him. It was surreal, but also a very nice sight.

"Are you okay, Haru? You left the clubroom quite early." Kyouya said as soon as he was in hearing distance.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to explore some more." Haru lied. He didn't want to upset his cousin who had been so good to him. "Ouran really is a beautiful school. I think I will enjoy going here." Haru added, hoping to distract his cousin.

It wasn't meant to be though.

"Haru, if something is wrong, please tell me. Were you uncomfortable around the twins? Their twin speak does get annoying but you get used to it soon enough." Kyouya tried to comfort. Haru smiled, it was nice that his cousin cared, but he still wasn't going to tell the older boy the real reason behind his departure.

"No, they seem like a very interesting duo. It's just as I said, I wanted to explore some more." Haru reassured the taller boy. He decided the perfect end to the conversation was to turn around and climb into the car.

Kyouya sighed. "Alright, but if something is seriously wrong, you need to tell me." The third son stated clearly with all the authority he could push into his voice.

Haru stuck his head out of the car. "I promise, now get in. You still need to convince your father to lend you a beach, and finish planning this trip."

Kyouya waved his hand and ushered Haru back into the car. He got in after and settled down comfortably. They didn't speak again until the car moved forward, starting its journey back to the Ootori residence.

"After dinner tonight we will go shopping for swimming trunks. You have the pair for the pool, but you shouldn't mix ocean swimming suits with pool ones." Kyouya spoke up.

Haru shook his head and chuckled. "I don't think it makes a difference, but I won't fight you Kyo-kun."

Haru watched his cousin with a fond smile before a thought struck him. "Kyo-kun, does Fujioka-san have a passport? It will be hard to travel overseas if she doesn't." Haru pointed out.

Kyouya sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't believe she does, and none of the other Hosts have private beaches in Japan. I may need to call around to find a suitable one closer to home. Thank you Haru, you just saved me some time."

Kyouya quickly whipped his phone out, and pressed a key to speed dial someone. "Nekozawa, where is your family beach house?"

Haru shook his head and looked out the window. Kyouya and Draco were like two peas in a pod, but both refused to admit it.

o.O.o

Haru silently watched the antics of the Host Club from the top of a cliff. Kyouya had dragged him along for the trip, and Haru had spent most of it dodging girls and observing. He saw an interesting dynamic between the members of the Host Club. Even with all the girls around, they still let their masks drop when around each other.

Tamaki and the twins seemed to be obsessed with gaining Haruhi's attention, and finding out more about her. They tried different tactics of stealing her focus, but the girl just didn't get it. Meanwhile Mori watched over Honey, like a mother hen. The taller third year, was always in arms reach of the little blonde, and had anything the blonde needed at the ready. Kyouya, oh his dear wonderful sadistic cousin, was always writing in his notebook, and would occasionally instigate certain events that created great amusement for Kyouya and Haru to watch. For example, trying to scare Haruhi.

Entertainment was one of the reasons Haru chose to sit on the cliff, the other reason being, he couldn't swim. He swam last year in the Hogwarts Lake, but then he webbed hands and feet and gills to aid him. This time around, he didn't have the luxury of magic and magical plants to ensure his survival. Haru didn't trust himself to stay afloat and alive in the ocean, with its many rough waves and currents. Even some the girls only ventured in waist deep and refused to go further, and they probably knew how to swim, so Haru didn't fancy his chances.

Haru was contemplating the pros and cons of removing his shirt to sunbathe, when he heard the sound of people approaching. He gracefully stood and turned around to greet his visitors when he saw three strange men standing there leering at him.

"Hey look fella's, it's a pretty little girl all by herself." The first one spoke.

Haru could take a guess on why they thought he was a girl. He had tied his hair up in a high ponytail, leaving only his bangs and two pieces hanging out. Next, he was wearing one of Kyouya's t-shirts that was baggy on him and slid off one shoulder leaving it bare, his swim shorts were a little short and covered by the bottom on the shirt, add his effeminate structure to the equation, and he would look like a girl to these idiots. It had really been poor planning on his part, so he couldn't fault them for their assumptions.

"This is a private beach, you shouldn't be here." Haru told the strangers with his soft voice. He inwardly cringed knowing that his voice probably wouldn't help the situation. Maybe he should try dropping it an octave?

"Oh so you're a rich pretty girl." The first one spoke again, while his moron friends laughed. Haru honestly didn't see the joke.

"I really think you should leave before I call for my cousin." Haru warned. He could try escaping but the likelihood they would follow him and then chase after the girls was high. He didn't want to risk bringing the females into trouble, but if he had no other choice he would.

"Nah, why would we leave when we can have such fun with you?" A second male inserted into the conversation. Haru turned and glared at the guy, but he was harshly pulled into the chest of the first guy.

"Yeah pretty, we'll have our fun, and when were done, we'll leave." The first person spoke before he grabbed Haru's shirt and tired ripping it off.

Haru didn't want to know what would happen if they found out he was a guy so he took a deep breath and yelled as loud as he could, "KYOUYA!" his voice seemed to echo off the rocks, and over the water as his cry was carried to his cousin.

"Shut up you little bitch." The second guy yelled before stepping forward and slapping Haru across the face.

Haru snapped his face forward again and glared at the second guy. Acting quickly he screamed Kyouya's name again, while stomping down hard on the first person's foot. Haru quickly pulled himself free and tried to run but he felt a large hand roughly grab his wrist and spin him around. Seeing the second man's face contorted with rage, Haru brought back a fist and pushed all his body weight into punching the bastard in the face.

The second man dropped his wrist, but Haru forgot about the third man, who was silent until this point, who harshly grabbed him from behind and pinned his arms to his side. Haru struggled but the third man was just too strong for him. Well there went his fleeing option.

"You little bitch! If you had just shut up and went along with it, then we could have all been having a great time, but no, you just had to fight, well guess what?" The second man quickly closed the distance between them and slapped Haru harder than the first time. "Now I'm just going to get rid of you since I don't think you're worth the trouble anymore!"

Haru continued struggle as he was transferred from the third man to the second. The second boy wrapped his arms around Haru, trapping his arms against his body, making it harder to struggle free. The man picked him up, but stilled. Slowly he put Haru back on his feet, but kept one steel arm band around his stomach and moved the other to pull at Haru's shirt. The man started laughing, and in his mirth his arms tightened, squeezing Haru to the point of pain.

"Oh this is good!" the man wheezed. "Boys, this isn't a girl at all." He announced. The other two moved forward quickly and looked down Haru's shirt as well, making him very self-conscious.

"The bitch is a boy." The first guy pointed out helpfully.

"Huh.. ha…haha!" the third man start laughing along with the second. Soon the first joined in as well, and together the three were laughing their heads off.

The second man carried him over to the edge of the cliff, still chuckling for some reason, and held him over the water. "Thanks for the laugh girly boy." The man said. Haru glared at him, and wished he could glare at his two now silent partners as well. "Have a good swim."

It felt like time slowed as Haru fell. He watched in horror as the second man shot him a satisfied look before turning around to see Mori-senpai standing behind him glaring. Mori had the first and third men in his hands and threw them down. The last thing Haru saw before the edge of the cliff obscured his vision was Mori reaching for the second man.

When Haru hit the water, he felt a jolt of intense pain shoot through his body. He quickly sank, and as he struggled, he only managed to swallow copious amounts of water. Slowly his eyes began to close and the world went dark.

o.O.o

Haru was brought back to awareness by the feeling of his body coughing up salt water. Next, he felt the sand underneath him, followed by the sounds of Tamaki's angry screaming. Haru slowly opened his eyes and looked up into the worried face of Kyouya. Seeing his cousin in such a frazzled state, worried frown and eyes that flicked everywhere as if looking for something, reminded Haru what happened before he blacked out.

"Kyo-kun!" Haru choked out before he threw his body at his cousin. Haru tightly wrapped his arms around his cousin's neck and buried his face in his neck. "Kyo-kun I didn't know what to do," Haru admitted although his voice was raspy from his sore throat.

"I know Haru, but everything is okay now. Mori subdued the men and I called the police." Haru felt Kyouya's arms tightening around him and he tried to bury himself deeper into his cousin's warm embrace. The cool evening air hitting his wet body sent chills down his spine.

Haru rested against his cousin for a few seconds, soaking up the warmth before Tamaki's screaming finally registered in his head.

"-ly penniliess. Your parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and even your grandparents will be sued for every last cent when my family lawyers are through with you!" Haru peeked over Kyouya's shoulder to see Tamaki harshly gesturing about as he yelled at the three strangers. His arms were flailing left and right, up and down, and almost hit the men several times as he told them their horrible fate in length. When Tamaki finally seemed finished with the strangers and turned his ire onto the other hosts.

"And you!" He gestured to all of them. "I specifically said to watch and guard Haru from the evil men lurking about, and as soon as Kyouya and I leave to bid farewell to the guests, you let him get captured and injured! He almost died because you were all too busy trying to find out Haruhi's weakness and acting like children!" Haru felt a little bad for the hosts. It wasn't their job to be his bodyguards. He also held himself back from pointing out that Tamaki had also tried to find Fujioka's fear, but now didn't seem the time.

"I can excuse Haruhi for not being there since she's a girl, and Mori doesn't get as much blame since he stopped the men but the r-"Tamaki was suddenly cut off by Haruhi.

"What do you mean I'm excused because I'm a girl? Man, woman it shouldn't matter." Haruhi stated, cutting off Tamaki in the middle in his speech.

"It does matter in this case because you wouldn't have been able to fight off those men and help. You probably would have got hurt as well. You don't have martial arts training like Honey, or Kendo trophies like Mori. But that's off the topic. None of you were watching out for Haru! That's the issue." Tamaki turned his attention away from Haruhi, but before he could speak, again she opened her mouth again.

"I think this is an issue. You don't think I could have helped if I was around? So what if I'm girl, if I was there I would have helped, regardless of gender." Haruhi cast her eyes towards Haru, before going back to Tamaki. "I could have helped him by distracting the guys so he could run. I didn't need to fight."

"We're not talking about that right now." Tamaki told her sternly.

"Yes we are." Haruhi stood up to Tamaki and gave him a defiant look. "Haru looks fine, so I don't see the point in delaying this conversation."

"Is that what you honestly think the issue is right now?" Tamaki asked.

"Yes."

"Then I'm not talking to you until you realize what really is important right now." Tamaki stated before turning around and making his way over to Haru and Kyouya. "Hey Haru, how are you feeling?" Tamaki gracefully sat down beside the pair and focussed all his attention on the duo, pointedly facing his back towards Haruhi and the other hosts.

"My throat hurts and I'm tired." Haru's voice was scratchy but Tamaki seemed to understand every word.

"Kyouya had Nekozawa call a doctor. When we get back to his place, you'll go straight to bed and have a check-up. Afterwards you will do whatever the doctor prescribes and sleep." Tamaki lightly chided him at the end.

Haru nodded his head and inwardly rolled his eyes. He knew it would be pointless to fight when Kyouya and Tamaki went into mother hen mood, so he simply closed his eyes and buried his face back into Kyouya's neck.

After a few minutes, he heard Tamaki stand and walk away. Thirty seconds later, he heard two sets of feet walking towards him. Haru carefully listened to the sound of the pair walking and tried to figure out who it was. Sure he could have opened his eyes and look, but his eyelids felt heavy, and he didn't want to waste the effort in raising and turning his head. When he felt two arms lifting him away from Kyouya, he snapped his eyes open and saw that he was awfully close to Mori-senpai's face.

When Mori started walking, Haru panicked and quickly wrapped his arms around Mori's neck. He peeked up from under his lashes and saw the older boy looking ahead, as if carrying Haru was a normal thing to do, and that thought made Haru blush. Discretely looking around to make sure no one saw him blushing, he saw Tamaki walking with Kyouya. That was good, because he didn't think he could handle an interrogation from those two, if they suspected he felt something towards Mori .

He had once made the mistake of mentioning that his best friend Draco was a handsome young man, and that if he were gay, he wouldn't have minded starting something with the British blonde. That simple statement was taken far from lightly, as Kyouya had demanded a complete evaluation of Draco's character, morals, and financial status. Tamaki had lectured him about the evils of men and how he should be careful, that wolves were hidden in sheep's clothing everywhere. You could never be 100% positive of a person, and that Haru should probably stay celibate so he never faced the pain of a broken heart.

Haru shook his head to clear the memories, and vowed to not let those two know that he found Mori to be a very handsome man, and that the strong and silent type personality was attractive. Glancing at this cousin and his friend, Haru confirmed they weren't paying attention to him and Mori, so Haru closed his eyes, and laid his head against Mori's strong chest.

Before they reached the limo, Haru had nodded off to sleep. As he slept, he once again failed to notice Mori's scrutiny of him.

o.O.o

When Haru woke up, the doctor had already paid him a visit, and he found Kyouya pinning Haruhi to his bedroom wall. Deciding to watch what his cousin was up to, Haru didn't make a sound or movement to alert the other two to his new state of consciousness. He had noticed that Kyouya had a small interest in the girl before, it wasn't as large or noticeable as the twins, but he had seen it.

Haru watched as Kyouya told Haruhi that she could pay off some of her debt to the club, by using her body. That since he was a man, she would be too weak to fight him off, he could take what he wanted from her, whether she agreed or not. Haru felt a seed of worry plant itself in his mind as Kyouya pressed harder against the girl. Maybe he should step in and stop this. He didn't think his cousin would do anything bad, but… he didn't want him to accidently alienate the girl.

Haruhi held her own though. The girl bluntly told Kyouya that he would not do it, and he was only playing the villain to support Tamaki's claim earlier and then called him a 'good person' for helping his friend. She seemed completely unfazed by Kyouya's actions, and stared back at him with a steady gaze.

"Miss Fujioka, you may be one of the smartest students at Ouran but right now you are the stupidest one in this house. I only wanted you to realise Tamaki's point so you could discover the real reason he was upset earlier. It was not because he was worried you would have been hurt, it was because Haru got hurt. You let your own indignation get in the way of seeing the big picture. My cousin was hurt and you were more worried about your pride." Kyouya released Haruhi and stepped away.

"Haru?"

"Yes my cousin, Haru. The one who was thrown off a cliff and you seem to have forgotten about. Did you know that every other host has been by enquiring about his health except you? You have been so absorbed in your own silent war against Tamaki that you forgot the reason Tamaki was yelling at you in the first place. One glance and you dismissed him, content with a cursory look." Kyouya calmly explained. Haru was impressed with his cousin self-control. If it had been Haru in his place, he probably would have attacked the person by now. But he stopped himself before that thought could go any further. No, he didn't want to attack anyone ever again, especially not with magic.

"I didn't mean to imply I forgot him!" Haruhi protested. "I just saw he was okay, and knew you were taking care of him, so I didn't see why I shouldn't address my point. Was I wrong?" Haruhi seemed upset when she asked.

"He'll be fine, but he needs rest. I would like for you to leave." Kyouya harshly put an end to all conversation. He didn't look like he was in the mood to reassure the girl since he personally escorted the girl to the door in cool silence. When he opened the door, it was to find Tamaki on the other side about to open it.

"Kyouya do you have lotion?" Tamaki sparred a glance at Haruhi but seemed to dismiss her before walking into the room and making his way over to Haru. Haru closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. He knew the blonde wouldn't fuss over him too much if he was sleeping. Tamaki came over and checked his temperature and re-tucked the blankets before smoothing out Haru's hair.

"Yes, it's on the right bedside table. Take as much as you need." Kyouya told him.

"Senpai, I want to apologize for earlier abo-" Haruhi started.

"Kyouya, has Haru woken up at all?" Tamaki cut her off.

"No. I think Miss Fujioka would like to speak to you. I suggest you take your conversation outside, so you don't disturb Haru."

"Alright. Inform me right away if anything bad happens!" Haru listened to the sounds of Tamaki and Haruhi leaving. Once the door closed, he heard Kyouya walking towards the bed.

"You know, I think you should take martial arts lessons. Honey's little brother would probably be willing to teach you." Haru wasn't surprised in the least that Kyouya knew he was awake.

"Why the little brother? What's wrong with Honey?" Haru asked as he opened his eyes.

"I don't think Tamaki is ready to trust Honey with your safety again just yet." Kyouya told Haru with a small smile. "I'll make a few calls and get everything set up."

"Thank you Kyo-kun." Haru rolled onto his side and stared at his cousin. "I'm sorry. It seems like I ruined the entire trip." Haru apologized.

Kyouya scoffed as he pulled a shirt out of the closet. "You didn't ruin it, those idiots did. But Haru, I have to ask. Why were you on the cliff alone to begin with?"

Haru rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling, wondering how he should explain things. He didn't want to tell Kyouya that he snuck away because he felt like an alien among the club, but he didn't want to lie. Knowing Kyouya if he said he wasn't comfortable, he would probably drag Haru to join his club and the wizard didn't think he could handle flirting with girls all afternoon. Just the memory of his fan girls from Hogwarts made him shiver in revulsion.

"I needed time alone. I don't like crowds, and with all the girls on the beach, it become too much." He answered.

"That's not the full reason." Kyouya argued.

Haru huffed in annoyance at his cousin's persistence. "Just let it go."

"No. Do you not like the Hosts? If not then I won't force you on another trip like this." Kyouya replied.

"It's not that I don't like them…" Haru searched around for words to describe the Hosts. "It's just that I don't fit. You all have been together for a while and are used to one another, but I'm here like this…deformed grey jelly bean in the otherwise perfect colourful pack."

"Maybe if you spent time with each host individually, you would grow more comfortable with them." Kyouya suggested.

Haru shook his head. "No. I can't depend on you and Draco to hold my hand all the time. I think I should try to make my own friends, and once I start school I'm going to find my own place."

Kyouya stared at him with unreadable eyes before he nodded. "Fine, but don't get too wrapped up in the thought of forging your own path that you forget that I am here. Visit me at that Host Club every once in a while, and take advantage of the Ootori resources." Kyouya firmly lectured.

"I will but…" Haru sat up and shook a finger at this cousin, "you need to back off and at least let me attempt to do things on my own. No personnel following me, no blackmailing students to act a certain way around me, and no listening to Tamaki about my protection."

"No problem. Now go back to sleep. I'll come back later after I make tomorrow's schedule." Haru gave a small nod and snuggled back into the sheets. Before Kyouya could turn Haru was back to sleep and ready to leave the whole beach adventure behind.

* * *

Please excuse any mistakes; I'm doing this without a beta, and well… I can't catch everything.

**To Repeat Readers**: I hope this will be better than the original, please tell me your thoughts.

**To New Readers**: I hope you enjoy the story, and don't be afraid to ask questions or point something out. I don't bite, and I only get bitchy if you pointlessly flame.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Haru was quite happy that he started school on 'Cultural Day'. He was given plenty of time to explore and learn the complete layout of the school as he went from one place to the next in excitement. It also helped him adjust and get more comfortable with the overall atmosphere of Ouran before he attended classes. While the schools were different in almost every way, except size, his uniform was reminiscent of his days at Hogwarts, complete disarray. Haru contemplated fixing his loose tie, un-tucked shirt, undone top buttons, and open jacket, but figured Kyouya wouldn't care.

Haru decided he spent enough time exploring and it was time to find his cousin at the Host clubroom. As he walked towards the south hall, he carefully tied up his hair in a high ponytail, and wore it the same way he did at the beach. He had it down most of the day, but it was starting to annoy him how some of the girls liked to play with it. He had grown out his hair since his first year, and while some Gryffindor's were brave enough to pet it, they learned soon enough that he did not enjoy it. They left him and his hair alone after one particularly nasty prank. The girls here at Ouran needed to learn the very same important lesson- they needed to keep their hands to themselves.

When he arrived at music room three, he opened the door to see three girls blocking the door. They seemed to be in the middle of some weird introduction.

"'Because you're a woman.' 'Because you're only a woman.' I'm sick and tired of men's coercive degradation of –"

"Excuse me, you're blocking the door." Haru softly interrupted. He didn't know how long these three girls would go on, but he figured they had already been speaking for a while before hand -if the twins reactions were anything to go off of.

"Another sweet pure flower that is being forced to wear men's clothes by these heathens." Haru spotted the tallest girl speaking before he was suddenly being smothered by the three unknown and possibly crazy girls.

"H-help?" Haru called. He didn't like people in his personal space. He was okay with Kyouya and Tamaki, even Mori was okay, but these females were scary and he didn't like their hands all over his hair and face.

Haru felt two large hands on his hips before he was swiftly lifted in the air. He was thrown over someone's shoulder and looked back to see the back of Mori's head. "Oh! Thank you Mori-senpai." Haru had a light blush on his cheeks but figured it could be explained away as the result of being attacked by overzealous females.

"I believe you are mistaken ladies. I assure that Haru is male. Maybe your woman's intuition isn't as reliable as you thought." Kyouya spoke from the side. The group watched as Kyouya stalked forward and protectively placed himself between the St. Lobelia girls and Haru.

"Well. . ." the tall one seemed a little embarrassed before she snapped out of it. "At the Zuka Club we are proud . . .our souls are equal, made possible by being the same sex in the same environment, even if it's a romantic relationship!"

Haru tried twisting his body to watch the proceedings, but was having difficulties. Mori seemed to know what he wanted because he quickly spun Haru around and let face forward while being cradled in Mori's left arm. It was comfortable… like his own personal human chair. It was with an intense feeling of loss when Mori had put him down soon after, but Haru pushed it away. He was not going to let his… small attraction to Mori affect him. He was at school to learn, and grow, not get tangled up in relationships and drama. He had enough drama at Hogwarts, thank you very much.

Haru watched the entire scene, in bemusement. He knew that there were a few crazies in the world, and that it must have been a freak accident for so many to band together in Ouran, but to witness that there was another group of crazies at another school was disturbing. The new group of weirdoes were determined to fawn all over Haruhi, and Haru snickered at Fujioka's nonplussed reaction, as she calmly accepted everything thrown at her.

Benio, the leader of the three crazy girls, left with a final threat ringing through the air. She vowed to steal Haruhi away from the Host club, and then flounced away with her two sidekicks. Haru was very entertained with the entire thing, and stood against the wall watching, including the aftermath.

It only took a count to five in his head before Tamaki slipped into one of his overly dramatic trademark speeches. Today he was in fine form as he passionately spoke about protecting Haruhi, how they needed to make her see that she could get everything she needed here with them, even the woman only needs. When Tamaki announced that he had an idea, Haru knew it was time to leave. He had seen the outcome of several Tamaki Suoh idea's and his survival instinct was yelling at him to run, and run fast. The hosts could go along with Tamaki's crazy plans all they liked, but Haru wouldn't.

"Haru-kun, you will help us in this right?" Tamaki asked his eyes wide and pleading.

Haru swallowed and sharply reprimanded himself for looking in the blonde's eyes. "I...I…" Haru stuttered, unsure what to do to get out of this. He could feel the sharp cold steel of a cage surrounding him, entrapping him so he would have to play a part in Tamaki's plan.

"Haru is unable to stay. He has to meet Yasuchika and start his defense lessons. You wouldn't want Haru to miss out on learning how to properly defend himself, would you Tamaki?" Kyouya spoke up. His voice was cold and crisp, leaving no room for argument.

Tamaki seemed to shrink a little. "That's today?" He asked mournfully.

"Yes." Kyouya replied.

"Chika-chan? Is he coming here?" Honey asked as he walked over to the group.

"No…I'm going off campus to meet him." Haru answered. It would be his first time meeting Honey's little brother and he didn't know if he could handle it if the little brother was anything like Honey. While Honey was adorable, there was an edge of forced happiness about him. Like he was constantly exaggerating his own innocence and joy for others, thus luring them into his little trap. No, Haru wanted to stay far away from any kind of trap, and Honey screamed of evil hidden beneath the surface. If his brother was like him then he wasn't sure how his lessons would go if he was constantly wary of opening the door to the lion's cage.

Honey sighed sadly, his bottom lip stuck out and trembling. "Chika-chan hasn't been talking to me lately."

"Mitsukuni." Mori spoke up. Haru was stuck dumb at the smooth tenor of the tall third years voice, it was so deep and soothing, reminding him of thick, rich, hot cocoa.

Honey perked up at Mori's voice. "Your right Takashi, as long as I have you then I'm happy." The short blonde quickly scurried up Mori's body and settled on his shoulder, grinning as he displayed his joy at being there.

Haru looked away, unable to face the sight. He cursed his own body for feeling jealously at the sight. He shouldn't be jealous, he shouldn't care, and he wasn't going to. Now he just needed to teach his body that, because Haru Black was not going to get into a relationship and invite drama back into his life.

Haru coughed to clear his tight throat, and faced the Hosts again. "I should be going. It was nice to see you all again." Haru lowered his head to group and made a hasty exit. As the doors closed behind him, Haru took a deep breath and tried to cool his burning cheeks.

Damn Mori had a nice voice.

o.O.O

Yasuchika was not Honey.

Actually, Haru didn't know if that one simple sentence could probably describe how different Yasuchika was to Honey. Where the elder Haninozuka son was cute, small, and overly happy, Yasuchika was his polar opposite. The Younger son was taller, serious, and had an air of displeasure around him. He was far too serious to be a middle school student, and although he was a few months younger than Haru, the Black heir felt like he was child compared to Yasuchika's mature manner of speech and outlook on life.

When Haru entered the dojo, he hesitated on what to do next. It was his first time in one, and he didn't know if there was a certain etiquette he needed to follow. It seemed like everything you did here in Japan followed a set guideline of manners and bows.

"Stand in the doorway and bow before entering." A cold voice spoke. Haru jumped at the sudden sound, but scrambled to comply. "Say 'Osu' as this marks your respect towards the dojo and the people in it."

"Osu." Haru sounded from his bent position. He straightened up to see a serious blonde boy standing in front of him. From first glance Yasuchika's attitude screamed how different he was from his brother. No smiles and cute bunnies here.

"Again. Your heels should be together and toes appointed out at a 45 degree angle, and your arms should be tightly at your sides," the boy instructed. Haru adjusted and repeated the process. Yasuchika scolded him again and told him, "half-hearted bows are not accepted here. Again."

On his third try, Haru performed a satisfactory greeting and was allowed to enter. Yasuchika didn't waste a second and dove into the dojo rules.

"You will perform that very same greeting every time you enter the dojo and every time you leave. No shoes are allowed in the training floor. No food or drink is permitted in the dojo. You will also never smoke or chew gum in here." Yasuchika was very stern in his lecture. "You will only ever address me as Sensei in the dojo, understood?"

Haru nodded quickly, not wanting to incur the boys wrath. He was not like Honey at all.

"You will answer verbally."

"Yes Sensei."

"You will respond with 'Osu' when you understand. If you don't say anything, I will take it to mean you didn't get it and will explain again, probably in a simpler form." Yasuchika paused and stared at Haru, waiting for a response.

"Osu." Haru hesitantly stated.

Yasuchika nodded as he accepted Haru's answer and continued. "Your training should be a serious matter. Do not laugh, giggle, talk or cause disruption during the class. You should always stand in fudo daichi when awaiting the next command. All directions, from me, should be obeyed in the dojo, without question. You will not be asked to do anything that I have not done myself already. If you cannot keep up, do the best you can. Keep fingernails and toenails short and clean. During the break there will be no sitting on chairs, leaning against the wall or lying down. Do some training rather than waste time."

"Osu." Haru sounded. His head was swimming with all the rules and he hoped and prayed he remembered them all.

"Your karate-gi must be neat and clean at all times. Your belt should _never_ be washed, only aired dry. It symbolically contains the spirit of your hard training, and under no circumstances are you allowed to wear t-shirts or other clothing underneath their karate-gi. Also, don't ever wear jewellery or watches during training. Understood?" Yasuchika continued.

"Osu."

Yasuchika prowled around him, inspecting him up and down and from every direction. It was unnerving but Haru refused to move. He would not get in trouble his first day.

"My brother may be soft and a disgrace to the Haninozuka, but I am not. Are you prepared to work hard every lesson, face injury and pain without complaint?"

"Osu." It was the first time Haru could say the word without any form of fear. He knew that he could handle hard work and some pain. He was confident that that was one part of this training that wouldn't bother him.

"Do you have any questions?" Yasuchika retook his position in front of Haru.

Haru nervously bit his lip, trying to think, before a question came to him. He hadn't been speaking Japanese long, and he was curious about one thing that Yasuchika had told him. "Sensei, what does 'Osu' mean?"

For the first time since they met, Yasuchika's stone expression changed. The blonde instructor smirked briefly. "It is formed from two words. 'Oshi' means 'to push' and 'Shinobu' for 'to endure'. Together they form 'Osu' that represents patience, determination, appreciation, respect and perseverance. I will push you until you think you've reached your limit. First your body will tell you to stop, to give up, but your mind will keep pushing you. Then your mind will want to stop, but your spirit will keep telling you to go on. When you reach this point you must fight yourself and your weakness and you must win. To do this you must endure the pain, you must learn to persevere, but above all you must learn to be patient. That is Osu!"

Haru stared, completely mesmerized by the impassioned speech. His entire body was tingling, urging him to push himself down that path, telling him that he needed to listen to Yasuchika and experience everything he just spoke of. This wasn't like his desire to play quidditch or fly, it was more intense. His mind was telling him that he would feel more gratification from learning from Yasuchika that it could help him heal and grow. Haru needed this, and he wanted this. It was the first thing he felt passionate about since he arrived in Japan.

"Osu." Haru sounded with as much force and determination he could muster.

Yasuchika spared him a small smile, but it was gone as quick as it had come. "Bow, and we will start." The blonde instructed, back to his tough sensei exterior.

After two hours, Yasuchika called a halt to the training and the duo showered and changed. They had started with a warm up, running in place for 10 minutes, some push-ups, crunches, and leg lifts. Next Yasuchika had walked him through the stretches, emphasizing that he needed to stretch all the major muscle groups, especially his leg muscles. They meditated, followed by blocking and punching exercises. They moved onto kicking, and then a 15 minute spar session. Yasuchika finished with walking him through some Kata.

Once they stepped outside, Haru witnessed a startling change. It seemed that once out of his gi and the dojo, Yasuchika lost some of his hard exterior. He was still serious, but he appeared softer around the edges. Haru decided to take a chance and invited Yasuchika out for dinner as a thank you.

Yasuchika frowned at him. "Why?" he asked.

"I want to thank you for taking the time to teach me. I know that Kyouya must have blackmailed you into somehow, but I do want to show my sincere gratitude." Haru explained.

Yasuchika took a moment to think before he coughed and pointedly looked away. "If you're serious…then I wouldn't mind eating some ramen."

It was a start, a start at making his own friends. "Ramen sounds delicious. Do you know any good ramen restaurants?" Haru asked.

Watching Yasuchika's excitement at the prospect of ramen, Haru could maybe see one thing that the brothers had in common. Complete adoration for their chosen food.

After their second lesson the next day, and second trip to a ramen stand, Haru decided that he would take another step towards befriending Yasuchika. The younger Haninozuka was an interesting boy to be around. He liked astronomy and they had been able to pass conversation talking about the stars and constellations. Haru had never been more happy for the class at Hogwarts, because he felt that astronomy was a good step into breaking the ice with Yasuchika and starting on the path of friendship.

"Yasuchika-san, since you like ramen so much, how about we make it a tradition to come here after you teach me?" Haru offered. There, he made an attempt to make a friend for the first time. Ron and Hermione had both attached themselves to him, and he hadn't needed to take the first step with Draco.

"I really shouldn't. A Haninozuka should not be selfish, and indulge so often." Yasuchika stated simply while pushing his now empty bowl away. Haru felt saddened at the boy's words.

"Is it really being selfish if I drag you here? I mean, it would be rude to refuse when I have already paid for the food." If at first you don't succeed, try again, right?

Yasuchika took a moment to think, before he lowered his head, and let a small smile grace his lips again. But like before it was gone as quickly as it had come. "Well I guess with that logic, it wouldn't be selfish." Yasuchika seemed reluctant to go along with Haru's plan, but not that reluctant.

"How about next time I'll make ramen!" Haru got really excited at the prospect of being able to cook for Yasuchika. Haru never got the chance to cook at the Ootori Manor since the cooks were always so busy in there, but now he had a reason to cook- to make a new friend.

"Do you even know how to cook?" Yasuchika asked casually, browsing the menu, probably trying to decide on his next bowl. That boy could pack ramen away like Honey could cake.

"Not really, but I can learn. Since you're such a ramen… expert, I'm sure that you can help tell me where I can improve in my cooking. So really, it wouldn't be indulging if you're teaching me right?" That made sense, right?

"I don't know. . . couldn't you just ask for help from the Ootori chefs." Haru bit his lip as he tried to find another reason to convince Yasuchika to spend time with him.

"The professional chef hired by the Ootori group would shower me with compliments and false assurances. Coming from a rich family yourself, you understand how that too, right? If you come over, than I know I will receive a fair and accurate evaluation."

"I suppose. It would still be a learning experience for you, so you would need to call me sensei. I will have to bring Satoshi as well, since he had been pestering about how little time we spend together. If you can include him, than I don't see why tomorrow I can't help you with your ramen issue."

Haru beamed at the younger boy, happy that his first attempt at making a friend was successful. "I don't mind meeting him." It wouldn't be interesting to see the younger brother of Mori. Yasuchika was so dissimilar from Honey, so Haru wondered how different Mori was from his sibling.

"Alright. We'll use the Karate clubs dojo tomorrow and then go to Ootori Manor afterwards." Yasuchika reasoned.

Haru didn't know if that would work. He didn't think the chefs would stand aside so he could cook. The Head chef liked to rule his kitchen staff with an iron fist, and hardly let his staff step a toe out of line. He was properly groomed to work in the Ootori household, and he held his position with great pride.

"I think we should go to my apartment instead. Then I can actually cook." Haru stated.

"You have your own apartment?" Yasuchika didn't out right gape, but Haru could see the widening of his eyes in surprise.

"No, not really." Haru admitted. "My friend from England was worried about me, so he purchased an apartment to stay in when he visited. He left me the spare keys and has given me permission to use it whenever I see fit, or if I needed space from the Ootori family. I don't think he would mind if I brought others there."

"That sounds acceptable." Yasuchika replied.

When they finished their meal, Yasuchika walked home while Haru needed to call for a car to pick him up. Unlike the Haninozuka family that had a family complex in the city, the Ootori Manor was closer to the country and couldn't be reached by bus.

Once he arrived back at the main house, the first thing he did was search out the head chef Sarada-san. He would need to approach this appropriately so as to not offend the man.

"Excuse me Sarada-san?" Haru confidently called from the kitchen doorway.

"Young Master Haru, are you hungry? I could quickly make you a snack." Sarada-san asked. He was already prepping food for tomorrow's breakfast.

"Actually, I was wondering if you could teach me to make ramen?" Haru saw the confusion and he quickened to explain "I am meeting with a prospective business partner tomorrow in town, and I have learned that he indulges in ramen when he can. To hopefully impress him, and gain his favour, I would like to prepare him a bowl of ramen. Your help in this matter would be appreciated." There, that sounded formal enough.

"If you require help, I can send one of the assistants into town to cook." Sarada offered.

Haru held up a hand to stop the man further. "I believe it will place me in a more flattering light if I prepared the meal myself." He responded.

The chef seemed to want to argue further, but he held his tongue. It wouldn't do for a member of the staff to argue against a family member. "Alright. Come inside and I'll teach what I can."

Haru grinned and happily bounced over to the man, eager to learn.

o.O.o

"Ya-su-chi-ka!"

Haru cringed for a third time that evening as Satoshi berated Yasuchika with his wooden stick. It had been disorienting to see a shorter Mori-senpai, one that was all smiles with two rosy cheeks, and an open face. He had to take a step back to compose himself from the sight before he could offer to lead the pair to the apartment. The journey had been interesting.

Satoshi was such an energetic boy to be around and Haru found himself smiling and laughing quite often in his company. Yasuchika would drop little snide comments about his friend, but he also seemed to genuinely appreciate the younger Morinozuka. They were complete opposites, just like Honey and Mori, but it worked for them. Satoshi was able to curb some of Yasuchika's seriousness, and Yasuchika was able to keep Satoshi focussed. It was also nice, that unlike the Host Club, they seemed to welcome Haru into their little group warmly, and made him feel included. They argued over the best pastry, the better sport to watch, the better sport to play, and whether or not the ominous cloud above was going to rain on them. It was like having Ron and Hermione back, but only better. He wasn't being pushed to study or scolded, he wasn't being pestered to play chess, but instead they asked his opinion and listened.

Haru didn't feel left out because he felt he added something to the group in turn. He became their mediator. He had been surprised at first when Satoshi had done a 180 and his personality went all dark and scary. His eyes seemed to have darkened and his wooden stick became much more menacing as he held it in the air and slowly growled out Yasuchika's name. It had happened in the first five minutes of meeting each other, all because Haru mentioned ramen.

Satoshi growled and raised his large wooden stick. "You tricked some poor kid into making you ramen!" The Mori-clone screamed as he smacked Yasuchika off the head with the stick. "A Haninozuka is to avoid all temptation and here you have been sneaking off after practice and eating ramen to your heart's content!"

Haru panicked. He hadn't meant to get Yasuchika in trouble, but now the poor blonde was getting beat up. "Morinozuka-kun, it's not Yasuchika-san's fault!" Haru cried as he jumped in between the screaming boy with a stick and the cowering blonde. "I wanted to learn how to cook Japanese food, and Yasuchika offered to test it for me."

Satoshi dropped his stick instantly and tilted his head to the side in question. "Really?" His bubble of darkness popped as he asked his question in a warm and curious tone.

Haru sighed in relief as the scary aura that the boy emitted disappeared. "Yes, you shouldn't jump to conclusion like that. You might have seriously hurt Yasuchika-san for something that wasn't his fault." He scolded. He had cringed afterwards, catching himself and wondered if the tall boy would be upset with him. Ron hated being scolded and usually huffed in irritation before stomping off, ready to give him the silent treatment.

Satoshi deflated at his words, and bowed his head. "I'm sorry Chika, maybe I should have heard the whole story first." He apologized.

Yasuchika uncovered his head and stood tall. "You should have!" he snapped, but quickly his face softened. "I should have been clearer when I invited you out. I am at fault too."

And with that the fight was done, no tears, scrapes, bruises or hurt feelings. It was a quick and amicable conclusion and one that Haru was infinitely grateful about.

The second fight had started over a poorly spoken comment about Honey. Haru had been making the ramen while the two younger boys chatted at the kitchen island. They were talking about the best way to watch the solar eclipse when Yasuchika muttered to himself.

"I bet Mitsukuni doesn't need sunglasses the little alien." Satoshi had heard and the dark aura returned. Yasuchika had a very good danger radar and had fled the kitchen with Satoshi hot on his heels.

"How dare you talk about your older brother like that? He is the heir and deserves respect!" The kendo boy screamed.

"You don't understand!" the blonde yelled back.

Haru had calmly put down his cooking utensils, wiped his hands on a dish towel, and walked into the sitting area where Yasuchika was hiding under the table and Satoshi was trying to drag him out.

"You know, I have found that respect is earned, not taken. Has Honey earned Yasuchika's respect?" He asked casually. Feeling a bit braver since neither boy reacted poorly to his first interjection, he calmly waited for a response.

Satoshi stopped and thought about his words. "But Mitsukuni-san is amazing; he is the best fighter in the Haninozuka family." Satoshi argued.

"But has he done something to earn Yasuchika's respect?" Haru pushed.

The blonde climbed out from under the table and brushed himself off. "I do respect Mitsukuni's skill. He is truly an amazing fighter, but I do not respect his choices in school and life. He had thrown away the values of the Haninozuka clan to eat cake, hug that filthy bunny, and be fawned over. Who can respect that?" Yasuchika spat.

Satoshi drew himself up, clearly offended by the question. "Taka-bro would never let Mitsukuni-san do something that would disgrace your clan."

Yasuchika's next words instigated the third fight. "Well he has."

"Ya-su-chi-ka!" Satoshi attacked the blonde again, furious over the slight to his brother. Haru didn't know if he could stop this one. It was one thing to fight over ramen but to stop a fight over pride and love of a brother was not something he could deal with. But, he did have one last trick up his sleeve that evening.

"I think the ramen is done." He called out.

Both boys stopped and turned to stare at him. It was slow, but soon their faces melted into ones of anticipation, and the eagerly scrambled to stand and return to the kitchen. Haru stepped aside and let the younger boys rush to the food, as he lazily followed them, happy that he managed to stop another round of Satoshi's unique teaching style.

It was good having friends. No matter how peculiar or unique they were.

o.O.o.O.o

Haru was sleeping peacefully when he was interrupted by Kyouya's phone ringing. Instead of answering, his cousin was currently sitting on the nearby couch typing away and ignoring the offending noisy device.

"Kyo-kun, answer the phone. . ." Haru mumbled from under the blankets. He had been exhausted when he got back from the apartment last night and collapsed into his bed. Before the night finished, Satoshi had worn his out with his endless chatter about 'Taka-bro' and his elaborate plans for their next outing. It seemed that Satoshi had enjoyed Haru's company so much, that he was already planning what they could do the next day, the next weekend, and during the summer break.

"It's Tamaki, so I imagine that once I answer it, it will only get louder in here." Kyouya crisply answered, his eyes and focus never leaving his laptop.

"I don't care, the ring tone is annoying." Haru complained, he grabbed his pillow and put it over his head, hoping to block out some of the noise.

A sigh, followed by the sound of a phone flipping open, told Haru that Kyouya caved. "Yes Tamaki?" Kyouya answered in an annoyed huff.

Even with his pillow and blanket over his head, Haru could still clearly hear Tamaki's yelling.

"_Mommy! We need to check on Haruhi! What if she's living in a broken down house with no food, or heat or water, and wears rags and had a cough! She probably can't even serve tea properly because she only has mismatched cups and bowls that are chipped. Kyouya we need to go and check out our daughters living situation, she could have died by now because we were too busy on the phone. Get your driver and go, we need to see Haruhi." _The hysterical voice cut through the room, making both parties wince.

"I highly doubt that Miss Fujioka has died. If you insist than I will get my driver and pick you up, so we can go see how Miss Fujioka is doing together." Kyouya sighed and Haru could picture his cousin rubbing the bridge of his nose. It wasn't even 8 am yet and already Tamaki was on about something his imagination cooked up. He felt a large amount of pity towards Kyouya for dealing with it every single day.

"Haru, do you want to come along? We'll get to see where Haruhi lives." Kyouya asked. He was completely resigned to the situation.

"ooh, youf tha ppatshencsh of a anfg." Was all that was heard from the bedding.

"Sorry Haru, but I didn't quite hear that." Haru could hear the amusement in his voice.

"No, but you have the patience of an angel." Haru repeated once he removed the objects from his head.

"Oh do you have plans today?"

"Yeah, Satoshi and I are going to try and get Yasuchika to play some video games with us. Then Satoshi wanted me to make him more ramen. He really liked the ramen I made last night." Haru yawned as he stretched out, moaning slightly at how good it felt to stretch his muscles in the morning.

"I see. I assume this will all be taking place at your apartment?" Kyouya asked while getting dressed.

"Yup! Will you text me the highlights of the day though? I know Tamaki will end up doing something silly."

"I'll invite the rest of the hosts along. I know with the twins there things are bound to get interesting." As he spoke Kyouya took out his phone and dialled a number. Haru decided it was best to block out the conversations and get ready himself. He slipped into the bathroom he and Kyouya shared and turned on the shower.

Some days he felt bad for invading Kyouya's room, but whenever he voiced moving back to his own room, Kyouya would wave it away and remind him he had fewer nightmares when he slept in the same room as him. Kyouya even went as far as having the staff bring an extra bed into his wing.

When he finished his shower Kyouya was waiting for him on the couch. "I'll have the driver drop you off at your apartment. When I called Honey, he told me that Yasuchika had already left with Satoshi to your place. I assume they are waiting outside already or have stopped along the way, but will be there soon."

"They're probably inside. I gave Yasuchika one of the extra keys." Haru explained while he searched through his closet for something to wear. When he settled on tan short and a royal blue sleeveless hooded top, he turned around to see Kyouya holding out a blue ribbon. Haru gratefully took it and tied up his hair like he had grown accustomed to.

"Ready? Would you rather eat in the car or wait until you're at your apartment to have breakfast?" Kyouya asked while picking up a bag that held his laptop.

"I'll wait." Haru answered.

Kyouya gave him a considering look before opening his phone again. "I'll have one of the cooking assistants drop off food. I know Sarada left some food for breakfast yesterday, in case you spent the night, but not enough to cover lunch and possibly dinner." The taller boy was rapidly typing out a message on his phone.

Haru smiled in exasperation. "I can just go and buy food myself." He pointed out.

Kyouya scoffed. "Why should you have to? Don't worry; the food will be waiting for you when you arrive, and probably before Haninozuka and Morinozuka arrive." He closed his phone with a sharp snap and ended the conversation.

When he arrived at his apartment, it was to the sight of Satoshi hitting Yasuchika over the head and yelling at him.

"What did Yasuchika-san do now?" Haru interrupted before the blonde got any more brain damage.

"Yasuchika was saying rude things about his brother again. I will not let him grow up to be rude like that!" Satoshi fiercely declared.

Haru walked over and placed a calming hand on Satoshi's arm. "He's not going to learn if you keep hitting him on the head." He said simply. Next he turned to Yasuchika and frowned. "Can you at least try not to make disparaging comments about your brother around Satoshi-kun? It clearly upsets him."

Yasuchika grudgingly promised to censor his comments, Satoshi apologized, and then the three boys moved on. They moved right in to video games after breakfast, and that came with lots of playful bantering between the three. Haru wasn't great at the games, having never really played them before, but Satoshi was a master. He kept giving Haru tips, and nudging Yasuchika in the ribs to make the boy mess up and give Haru a fighting chance. It had been a great experience, and by the time lunch rolled around they considered the morning well spent.

For lunch, Haru searched through all the food that had been placed in the kitchen, and he decided to make them some western food for them to try. As they both lived with traditional families, it was rare for the boys to eat anything not Japanese. They both had enjoyed it immensely. Haru trust in Satoshi's opinion on food wavered however, after he saw the boy add a large amount of hot sauce to his tomato soup and peanut butter to his grilled cheese sandwich. But, luckily, Yasuchika was there to give a more normal affirmation of taste.

After lunch they decided to explore the city and do the tourist like things. They wandered around an outside market and bought various trinkets and other items that caught their eye. At one stop they browsed stalls with kimono and yukata displays. Satoshi convinced them to all buy matching yukata, so they could wear them to an upcoming festival together.

Another stop was for Karaoke. Yasuchika had wanted to completely skip the entire experience but with the combined efforts of Haru's puppy eyes and Satoshi's yelling, Yasuchika agreed. They had a great time singing Karaoke, and surprisingly it was Yasuchika who had the best singing voice. The serious boy had blushed and denied it, but still held himself a little straighter in pride.

Around dinner time, Haru found that he had two hungry and two very eager boys on his hands. It seems the fun day out, didn't deter them from his promise of more ramen. Haru ushered them both back to his apartment and got to work. While they were eating Satoshi decided it was time to voice the thing that had been on his mind for a while.

"Haru I think you should date my brother."

Haru who had at the moment been eating some noodles started choking. Mentally he told himself that he was being stupid and he did not just hear Satoshi say that. With the help of Yasuchika pounding on his back, Haru managed to get his throat and lungs in working order again.

"Excuse me Satoshi, but I think I heard you wrong."

"Really, I think you and Taka-bro would be awesome together. You're exactly what he needs." Satoshi excitedly told him.

"W-why would you think that?" Haru hesitantly asked. He may or may not have once or twice thought that Mori-senpai was good looking and might possibly entertained the idea of what it would be like to date the senior, but that was different than the seniors little brother wanting to push them together.

"Well if you dated than you could be like another brother. Then I could have two amazing brothers to be around and look up too. Plus it would be like a romantic Samurai tale. Taka-bro would go out and fight to bring honour to his family and village and at the end of the day you could be waiting to welcome him home with Kisses and delicious ramen." Satoshi seemed to slip off into his fantasy, while Haru sat at the table blushing.

Haru wasn't repulsed by the idea. In fact the thought of kissing Mori-senpai was the reason he was currently blushing. Haru would have like to fantasize like Satoshi but he knew he shouldn't. Mori-senpai probably wasn't even interested in the same gender, and even if he was, what would he see in Haru?

In England, he was an idol and a kicking post. In Japan, he was a no body that was sometimes seen with his popular cousin. There wasn't anything about him that stood out and would attract the tall senior. Haru really was nothing special. After all Mori-senpai only associated with Haru because of Kyouya and even then Mori never spoke to him. That was all beside the point anyways, because Haru was not looking to date.

"Satoshi I don't think your brother would ever be interested in me. Maybe you should look for an amazing sister instead." Haru softly spoke.

The other two boys seemed to have sensed his troubled mood and spoke no more on the subject. After Haru cleaned up the dishes, Yasuchika and Satoshi called for a car to take them home. Haru had assured them that after he cleaned up the living room, he would head straight back to the Ootori Manor.

When Haru arrived back at the manor, the entire conversation was wiped from his mind. He was not looking to date Mori, Mori was not looking to date him, and it was a closed case and needed no more thoughts. He had settled the entire thing by sending Satoshi a text message in the car. He told the younger boy that while he was honoured that he thought Haru was good enough for his brother, it simply wasn't going to happen, and that the boy should focus on maybe finding a suitable girl for Mori. He was sure that if Satoshi asked Honey, the blonde could give him a list of names to start with.

Satoshi had replied that it made him sad, but he was glad to that at least Haru was his friend and while it wasn't as great as being brothers it was still cool.

Haru was surprised when he got a message from Yasuchika next. The blonde told him to not take Satoshi's words seriously, as the taller boy had a tendency to ask almost everyone if they would date his brother. He had told him briefly that Satoshi had even gone so far as to ask their first year home room teacher, because the woman had said that she used to attend Kendo competitions to support her brother. That day had been embarrassing for Yasuchika as he had to drag his friend away from the woman while he yelled out his brothers good points, trying to convince the woman.

Haru felt mixed emotions on the revelations. While he was glad that he hadn't seriously hurt his friend feelings by refusing, he also felt hurt that he hadn't actually been the first person Satoshi had tried to set up with his brother. Haru pushed those thoughts away though, and had thanked Yasuchika, and promised the boy that he would meet him at the dojo after club time the next day for their lesson.

Overall the day had been wonderful. There were so many things that normal teenagers did, that he missed out on being cooped up in the wizarding world. And tomorrow he would get to experience even more as he went for his first full of day of classes at Ouran.


	4. Chapter 3

"I like meat lasagna and garlic bread. Om nom nom." – Japanese

"_Oh…I ate too much lasagna. My stomach hurts."_- English

**Chapter 3**

Haru remembered his first day of Hogwarts. He had been small and scared, looking up at the high stone walls and moving portraits, being completely lost in the castle. The Great Hall full of students intimidated him, but he had been happy because he had Ron at his side, suffering through it all with him. He didn't have that this time. Instead he was dropped off at the entrance with Kyouya, and before he could properly prepare himself for the rest of the students and class, his cousin had dragged him through the doors. When Kyouya finally came to a stop he was standing in front of his classroom and Kyouya was lightly fussing over his uniform.

"Now, I will be having lunch in the cafeteria today, so if you want to eat with me you can find me there. You do remember where it is, correct?" Kyouya asked as he readjusted Haru's tie. "I know you said you didn't want to join the Host Club, but a club on your resume looks good for University, so seriously consider joining one." The Shadow King continued as he brushed imaginary dust off Haru's shoulder.

"Kyo-kun, I get it. You don't need to be so worried." Haru tried to reassure. He wasn't sure it worked well because his voice trembled a little in his own nervousness.

"I started school already confident in myself and my status. You do not have that same disposition, and so I need to guide you through this. You reflect the Black and Ootori companies whenever you step outside your bedroom door, and it is my duty to ensure that you leave a good impression."

Haru huffed and lightly swatted his cousin's hands away. "I understand. But if you continue to fuss over me, you will be late for your own class." Haru pointed out.

Kyouya frowned, but then wiped his face clean of any emotion. "True. I will leave now, but remember, that I am never far away."

"I know I know…" Haru chuckled and gently pushed his cousin in the direction of his classroom. "I'll be fine Kyouya and see you at lunch in one piece."

The Ootori son paused for a minute longer, looking over Haru as if to ascertain himself that yes, Haru was telling the truth and could handle this on his own, before nodding and walking away.

Haru turned towards the classroom door, and took a deep breath. As he was reaching to open it, the door slammed open and startled him.

"What do we have here?" One of the Hitachiin twins asked.

"I do believe that there are some fair maidens that require attention." The second twin answered.

Haru was jostled as the twins pushed past him, barely glancing at him as they started the flatter the girls loitering in the hallway. Haru was a little put out, but brushed it aside as he entered the room.

The first class, in what was probably going to be a long day, waited for him.

o.O.o

It was official. Haru had four friends here in Japan. Besides Satoshi and Yasuchika, Haru had shyly made friends with two girls in his class. Sakurazuka and Momoka were seated on either side of Haru in class, and had made a very conscious effort to befriend him. They had helped him find his place during the lessons, invited him to eat lunch with him, and knew when to stop trying to pry into his personal life. They were both very happy girls, and when Haru mentioned entering a club, they had been a well of information.

"There's the sports clubs that you could join." Sakurazuka stated. "The track and field team are pretty good, but their captain is a bit overzealous."

"Oh but the swim team is really good. They have this really nice coach. He had a bronze medal from the Olympics. " Momoka added.

"I would avoid the American Football Club though. They are really strict and rough in their training. The nurse's office is usually busy from the members injuries every day after practice." Sakurazuka pointed out.

"Are they really that bad?" Haru asked with a frown. He didn't know a lot about American football, but he was pretty sure they wore pads and protective gear, so how injured could they get?

"Well they have a bunch of big guys and they hit hard. They won one game because all the big guys tackled the other team and knocked them out. The other team didn't have enough players to substitute and had to forfeit." Momoka whispered. The girl looked around, as if making sure no American football member heard them.

Haru shivered. "Right… stay away from the American football team."

"Maybe not an athletic club…" Sakurazuka had a thoughtful look on her face. "Oh! There's the tea ceremony club!"

"Tea ceremony?" Haru asked.

"Yes. The club practices the preparations and art of Tea Ceremonies. The tea and snacks are always delicious." Sakurazuka enthused.

"It's a very friendly club." Momoka added. "But strict."

Haru sighed. "I don't think I would like that very much." He admitted.

"Maybe the cooking club? They do a lot of baking to supply the Host Club with cakes and snacks." Momoka proposed.

Sakurazuka sat up quickly and her eyes got large. "The Host Club! You should join the Host Club Black-kun! You would fit right in, and with your foreign features you would be requested a lot."

Haru blushed. "I rather not. I was already offered a spot but I don't feel comfortable being in large groups and the centre of attention."

Momoka and Sakurazuka both cooed over him, "so adorable." Momoka sighed.

Haru blushed again and decided to steer the conversation in different direction. "The cooking club, do they accept anyone or…" He trailed off.

"Oh everyone is welcome. They can teach you the basics and if you need more help, a professional chef comes in once a week to instruct." Sakurazuka informed him.

"Really?" Haru smiled. "I might join then."

The rest of the break was spent listening to the two girls tell him all about Ouran. It seemed that the big pink majestic school had quite the history behind it.

"-but they never discovered who stole the jewels from the display case. Some think it's a greedy ghost, and others claim that it's the school's director. Since then the display case in the tea room has been empty because no matter what's put inside that case it goes missing!" Momoka's eyes were wide as she retold the old legend of the disappearing jewels.

"That's so scary. I don't know what I would do if my prized jewelry was taken." Sakurazuka responded.

"But I wonder where they went. I heard that several business men have hired people to search-" Momoka's voice dropped into a barely audible whisper "-the black market to recover the famous lost jewels, but haven't been successful."

"Maybe they are still in the school." Haru offered. Both girls stared at him, eyes wide with anxiety and questions. Harry fidgeted before continuing. "Well if they can't be found outside of the school, who's to say that they ever really left? They could be sitting in a dusty corner somewhere…"

Both girls stared at him for another beat before they perked up in excitement. "Should we go look for them?" Sakurazuka asked.

"Could we? It would be like a shounen manga. Mystery, adventure, ghosts, and lost treasure." Momoka looked towards Haru, waiting for his answer.

"I-I…" Haru didn't think they would actually take his suggestion to heart. Luckily the teacher arrived and ended the conversation for the moment. Haru didn't have the heart to tell the two girls no, but he didn't want to go searching for ghosts either. He didn't think Ouran had any, but he wasn't going to set out and prove his theory either.

o.O.o

The classes were a bit difficult for Haru. He had studied quite a lot to be able to join Ouran, but that still didn't mean he grasped everything quickly. He was allowed to study and learn at his own pace when he was preparing for the entrance exam, and the teachers taught at more rapid speed than he was accustomed to. It was with great relief when the bell rang and Haru could flee the classroom.

He knew that Sakurazuka and Momoka were still eager to go on a crazy treasure hunt, so before they could corner him, he ran. He always had speed on his side, and with the added bonus that no girl could properly run in the overly poufy Ouran dress, Haru was happy to congratulate himself on a well-executed escape plan. That was until he ran into someone while taking a corner near the library.

As Haru was starting to fall, he clenched his eyes closed and prepared for impact, everything in his mind seemed to blank and no sound could he heard, but suddenly he felt as two strong hands grabbed his arms and held him steady. The unknown person slowly puled Haru up, until the wizard was resting against a strong warm chest. Haru slowly opened his eyes and let them travel up the blazer clad chest and into two deep blue eyes.

"You okay?" The stranger asked.

Haru shook himself out of his stunned state to answer. "I'm fine, Thank you for catching me and I apologize for running into you." Haru stepped back, putting some distance between them. Haru took in the rest of the boy's features and noted his happy and calm features. There was nothing overly masculine about his face, but it still had a handsome edge to it. His hair was black and a bit shaggy, and his build was quite fit.

"It's perfectly fine. The only casualties were the oranges" The stranger laughed.

Haru shot him a bemused look before he followed the strangers arm gesture down to the ground. Several oranges were rolling around, some squashed, and other looking unharmed, and the ceramic bowl that had been carrying them was in pieces.

"Oh I'm so sorry. I will buy you more." Haru rushed to apologize. This poor boy, Haru ran into him and ruined his fruit.

"Don't worry. We have an abundance of them. I was just coming back from the kitchen where we store them." The stranger reassured him.

"But I should do something…" Haru nervously bit his bottom lip. "I know. I'll help you clean this up and then deliver the oranges to wherever you're going."

The stranger chuckle and raised a hand to cover his smile. "Fine. I'm Hayato Tarumi from class 2B, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Black, Haru from class 1A, please take care of me." Haru greeted, bowing his head slightly.

"Now let's get this cleaned up."

Haru smiled at the taller boy, and place his bag against the wall, ready to work. He started picking up the fruit hat survived the fall, but then he noticed they had a problem. "Um… Hayato-senpai, we don't' have anything to put the fruit in."

"Oh?" Hayato looked up from where he was picking up oranges, his arms also full, and frowned. "I guess you're right. My club room isn't far from here, so I can go get a bag or something."

"I'll just wait here then." Haru stated.

The second year gently placed the good fruit on a nearby window sill and walked away, in the direction Haru was running from. Seeing that he could still do something, Haru collected the remaining good fruit and added them to Hayato's pile. Once that was done, Haru reached into his bag and pulled out an unused notebook. He used the card cover to scoop and push the ruined oranges off to the side in case anyone decided to walk by. He didn't want to inconvenience anyone else.

He was just finished up when a loud yell echoed down the hallway. "Black-kun!" Haru flinched and slowly turned to see Sakurazuka and Momoka rushing towards him.

"Oh we found you. Now that classes are over let's go look for that treasure!" Momoka cheered.

"Oh this will be so exciting." Sakurazuka enthusiastically grabbed onto Haru's arm. For such a petite girl she had an iron grip.

"A-actually I don't think I can. I promised Hayato-senpai that I would help him." Haru announced. Hoping they would stick to propriety and allow him to finish his previous commitment.

"But, oh… that's a shame. I really wanted to go looking for the lost jewels." Momoka pouted.

"Lost jewels?" the three first years looked up to see Hayato standing nearby, a plastic bag in one hand and a waste bucket in the other.

Momoka seemed to perk up even more, if that were possible, at the sight of him. "Are you Hayato-senpai?" she asked.

"Yes, Hayato, Tarumi from class 2B." Hayato introduced himself. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Would you mind lending us Black-kun? We were talking about the case of the missing jewelry earlier and he suggested that the jewels might still be in the school. We wanted to find them." Momoka eagerly told the second year.

"That sounds like it will be an amazing adventure." Hayato grinned at him.

"But I already promised to help you." Haru protested, his eyes sending Hayato a silent plea for help.

Hayato's grin got wider as he stared back at Haru. "I couldn't in good conscience deny you this opportunity. If you insist of paying me back then we can meet another time, and you can tell me all about this treasure hunt."

"You could join us if you like?" Sakurazuka spoke up.

Hayato's grin faltered a little. "Unfortunately, I have practice."

"Are you part of a club?" Momoka asked.

"Yes, I'm a member of the American Football Team." Hayato responded.

Sakurazuka and Momoka both took a step back at his answer, and Haru rolled his eyes. He didn't understand why they were suddenly wary of Hayato. It wasn't like the boy was seven feet tall and filled the hallway, like they pictured when they thought of the American football team.

Knowing there was no possible way Sakurazuka and Momoka would leave him alone with Hayato now, Haru conceded defeat. "That sounds good. I was thinking of eating lunch in the cafeteria tomorrow if you want to meet me then." Haru suggested.

Hayato nodded. "Sounds good. I'll see you then Black-kun."

Haru said goodbye and was quickly led away by the girls, their encounter with the American football player forgotten as they concentrated on their mission. It was an interesting first day."

o.O.o

Kyouya was putting away the last of the teacups when the door to the clubroom opened. The other members had gone home for the day, and Kyouya had elected to stay back wanting the quiet to think over the next business venture he would try. Looking over his shoulder he had to frown at the state of his cousin. Haru looked tired, dusty and slightly worn as he slowly entered the clubroom.

"Haru, what happened to you?" Kyouya walked over to his cousin, holding himself back from fretting.

"Uh… it's a long story." Came the sheepish reply.

"One you will tell me in full detail."

Haru sighed but walked over to the couch to sit. "I made two friends today…" Haru then told Kyouya all about meeting Sakurazuka and Momoka, the conversations they had, and just how he needed up on this hunt for lost treasures. He also explained that since the girls were in dresses and were bereft to get them dirty, he had been the one to search the dusty corners, the air ducts, and even crawl under some furniture. "They finally got hungry and said we could pick up where we left off tomorrow. Momoka was also excited to get home so she could order some ghost hunting equipment offline. They considered asking the Black Magic Club for help, but then decided against it."

Kyouya chuckled lightly. "I see. I was afraid you had been bullied."

Haru frowned. "I don't think there are any bullies here."

Kyouya thought back to when Haruhi first joined the club and the experience she went through at the hands of a jealous customer. "There are a few." Kyouya responded. "Actually this has given me lovely idea for the next theme. Something along the lines of the popular American movie franchise Indiana Jones. I could set up an Aztec backdrop, and the girls could be saved from a series of obstacles as they journey with their favourite host to the prize." Kyouya took out his laptop and quickly typed away. It would be a new and fun interactive event that he could charge extra for, since the young ladies would get their favourite host exclusively to themselves. Kyouya could even run it for week, thus more customers, and more money.

"Do you not have practice with Yasuchika today?" Kyouya asked.

"No. He said I could have today off. I'll see him tomorrow."

"Did you meet anyone else today?" Kyouya asked off handily as he typed.

"I met a second year name Hayato Tarumi, he's a mem-"

"Member of the American football team, I know." Kyouya straightened up as he interrupted Haru. "I would advise you to be careful around him, and watch what you say if you meet again." It seemed his cousin really had quite the first day. Only his luck would lead him to meet someone that was part of group that hated Kyouya. Not because Kyouya had ever done anything to them as a whole, but because their captain wasn't his biggest fan. Kyouya wondered if Haru's misfortune had started with oranges as well.

"Well we were going to meet for lunch tomorrow… You really do know everyone, don't you?"

Kyouya frowned, but didn't say anything. The entire situation would need to be handled carefully.

o.O.o

"I'm sorry, I really am." Haru apologized for the third time, on behalf of his friends, since he arrived for lunch. Once they received their food, Hayato had asked Haru if he knew why his two female friends had gone rigid around him. Apparently it was common occurrence but no one had been able to answer the question when a football player asked. Haru had answered honestly, that the girls were scared because the club could put an entire team into the hospital. Hayato had only laughed.

"Have you ever heard the term 'Sky High'?" He asked

"No…" Haru honestly didn't know the rules or terms involved in American Football. He knew real football -he was British after all- but the American version was beyond him.

"Well it means when the line knocks the opponent on their back and they see the sky. It's an insult to any linesmen. The team we were playing were all about posturing and boasting, so the captain made a decision to knock them down. The line was all for it, so when the ball was hiked, the line went down. They were too embarrassed afterwards to really put up a fight, and some faked injury to avoid coming back on the field. It was a terrible game overall, but as most stories go, this one seems to have gotten out of hand." Hayato explained.

"But… wouldn't that make them more motivated to win?" When he was bested by Draco or someone he always felt inclined to try harder, to fight more, and succeed.

"Maybe… but I find that in sports the person with the loudest mouth is the most insecure. They talked a big game, but when it came time to perform and they lost, they retreated and threw excuses out. They didn't have the confidence to fight back."

"I see…" Haru used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth. He chewed slowly as he thought over the second years words. "But that still doesn't excuse the students from fearing you. You're a really nice guy but they flinch away when they hear you play football. I'll talk to them." Being feared because of pointless rumours was something Haru was familiar with. It was only fair that he help the poor American Football team where he could.

Hayato chuckled. "There's really no need. It's funny really. It might have been worse if we were ostracized individually but we still have each other as a team, so it's not that bad. "

Haru frowned and placed his chopsticks down, ready to argue the point but Hayato stopped him. The second year reached across the table and placed a calming hand on his arm. With a quirky little smile, and a soft whisper, Haru felt some of his indignation on Hayato's part leave. "It's fine really."

"Well if you want a non-football friend…" Haru felt his nerves acting up. "w-we could be friends."

Hayato's hand that had been on his arm slid down slowly and lightly grasped Haru's hand. "I would like that."

Haru felt a large smile blossom on his face. He had made another new friend. He wasn't doing too bad with this whole befriending others. Maybe he shouldn't have been so nervous and worried at the start. Sure he had lacked the social skills and graces to befriend many students at Hogwarts, preferring to just stick with Ron and Hermione, but now in the new world, he was learning that he could do things he thought previously unattainable.

"Let's be good friends to each other." Haru stated happily, moving to pick up his chopsticks again and eating. Hayato dropped his hand and returned to his own meal, a soft smile on his face.

"Now, I remember something about an exploration of the hidden corners in Ouran." Hayato prompted.

Haru groaned. "Yes, it was a very… long and dirty process. The most treasure we found was an old money clip, and someone's discarded socks." Haru explained.

Hayato laughed lightly. "It couldn't have been all that bad. You were with two very pretty girls after all."

Haru adopted a very serious face and faced the second year head on. "Yes they were pretty, but there's something else to girls that make them dangerous. They have an unnatural obsession with hair. During the whole search if I got dust in my hair, if my hair got tangled, if it slipped a little from the tie… those two girls descended on it and played with it until it was perfect again. It made the search that much longer. I don't like people playing with my hair, but it was so hard to tell them to stop. They just adopt these big watery eyes and look at you like you told them their favourite dress designer was going to retire….those two girls, are dangerous."

Hayato' eyes shined with mirth as he listened. "I see…"

"No you don't because you have never experienced it. If I hadn't grown my hair since I was 11 and become so attached to it, I would cut it off to avoid any situation like that happening again." Haru vehemently told the other boy.

"Ah…" Hayato started to speak but then held himself back. His eyes traveled over Haru's shoulder and settled on something behind him. "Oh?"

Haru turned around to see what caught the athletes' attention and saw a watery eyed Hani-senpai behind him. The third year had tear tracks, and such a devastated look on his face that Haru's heart clenched at the sight. "Hani-senpai, what's wrong?" Haru leapt out of his chair and went to the older boy's side. Where was Mori?

"I…I…" Hani struggled. "Haru-kun, can I have your dessert? I haven't had something sweet in so long." Hani's voice wobbled.

Haru was at a loss. "Sure?" He answered.

Hani seemed to brighten up a little as the third year lunged for Haru's pear and raspberry tart. Just as Hani's fingers were apart to brush against the plate, a larger hand came slamming down and stopped Hani's advancement. Mori stood, towering over Haru and Hani as he glared that the blonde. Hani's joy at the thought of Haru's tart disappeared and he started crying again.

A crowd quickly formed around them, the sight of two Hosts together always brought fans, but this time it was different. The girls were giving Hani sympathetic look instead of the usual adoring expressions.

"Oh Mori-senpai is serious about not letting Honey-senpai eat any sweets." A whisper carried over.

"Takashi you're mean!" Hani screamed right before he ran away. Mori didn't spare anyone a look as he turned and followed after Hani, his face calm and controlled once again. Haru watched him leave, unsure as to what happened exactly.

"So you know the Host Club?" Hayato asked, bringing Haru's attention back to him.

Haru retook his seat, and eyed his tart. "Ootori-san is my cousin. I live with him, so I have met them a few times." Haru admitted.

Hayato frowned and rubbed the back of his head. "Well do you know what that was about?"

"Not a clue." Haru admitted. "I've been trying to ignore anything weird that happens with the Host Club. I figure if I pretend it doesn't happen, I can avoid being pulled in."

Hayato grinned. "And how is that working out?"

"Well. I think." Haru threw back, matching Hayato's grin with his own. With that, Haru picked up his tart and took bite, forgetting all about the weird incident with Hani, and the slight pang that developed when Mori hadn't even noticed him.

o.O.o

The Host Club was trying to comfort Hani and understand what was going on with Mori when a loud crack cut through the air, stilling all their movements. Slowly, as a group, they turned towards the spare room that doubled as a storage area and change room. No one moved as the handle turned and a tall aristocratic foreigner walked out. His hair was almost white, his chin was high, and his piercing grey eyes swept over them in with coldness.

"Where is he?" The youth asked, his voice a strong baritone.

To the surprise of the group, Kyouya stepped forward and lowered his head. "Malfoy-san, what do we owe the pleasure?" He asked.

"Where is he?" the blonde asked again, completely ignoring Kyouya's question.

Tamaki and the twins all gasped and shock and backed away from the rude foreigner. The twins were scared to see what Kyouya, the infamous demon king, would do to this foreigner for his insolence, while Tamaki was just plain startled.

"Haru is exploring the school currently, is there something you need?" Kyouya remained calm, and addressed Malfoy with a respectful tone.

"I got a message that he needs medical attention!" Malfoy snapped.

"Medical attention?" Kyouya's voice was tinged with worry.

Suddenly, the door to the clubhouse burst open and Sakurazuka was running inside, her eyes blurry wet with tears. "Ootori-san! Black-kun got hurt!" She cried.

Malfoy strode over the girl and harshly grabbed her by her forearms and spoke directly down to her. "Where is he? Lead me there!" He demanded.

Sakurazuka was too distressed to register who was bossing her around, so he merely nodded and started running out of the room again. Malfoy was on her heels with Kyouya and that rest of the club following close behind. They group raced through the halls and over to the other side of the school.

"I don't know why I trusted you to keep him safe Ootori, but this is the second time I've gotten this message this month!" Malfoy yelled.

"We can't properly assess the situation until we get there!" Kyouya answered, his voice rough with exertion.

"Second time!" The foreigner snapped.

There was no more talking until they reached an out of the way room and Sakurazuka led them inside. Haru was lying on the ground, one arm over his eyes the other being cradled by Momoka. The girl was crying and was clutching onto Haru's arm, holding the make shift wrappings from her skirt over a bloody wound.

"I told you it's fine Momoka-san. I can walk to the infirmary and get this bandaged." Haru's soft voice floated over to the worried group.

"I brought your cousin Black-kun!" Sakurazuka announced, rushing over to his side and holding onto his hand gently.

Haru sighed. "I told you it was fine and you didn't need to bother him. " Haru spoke, slowly removing the arm from his eyes. His green eyes flickered over to the group and he groaned again. "_Draco, what are you doing here?"_ Haru asked in English.

"_Well you see, I was sleeping, wonderfully I might add, when my Potter Watch went off telling me you got hurt, again."_ Draco replied. He walked over and none to gently pushed his way beside Haru and his injured arm. He lightly grasped the wounded limb and peeled back the bandages to inspect the damage. _"What were you doing to get this?"_

Haru flinched, and that only caused Draco's eyes to narrow further. The blonde raised a challenging eyebrow, silently demanding Haru to try and lie his way out if this. _"Well…"_ Haru started. _"I was looking for lost treasure?"_

"_Are you asking me what you were doing, or telling me?"_ Draco asked, his eyes softened as pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and softly cleaned up some of the blood.

"_T-telling…"_ Haru responded. Haru's eyes finally started to show the pain he was in. Draco moved closer and used one hand to brush his bangs back, soothing the injured boy.

"_You're telling me that you were looking for lost treasure… inside a school…"_ Draco asked slowly, his tone was caring.

"_There's ghost stories and stuff. I didn't think anything bad would happen."_ Haru admitted quietly.

"_You managed to get a five inch gash on your arm from walking around in a muggle school, because you didn't think 'anything bad' would happen." _Draco said with fond exasperation to the injured boy.

"_It's not that farfetched!" _Haru protested. He pouted a little, and Draco smiled at him softly.

"_From you, no not really. Alright, let's get you to the infirmary and heal this."_ Draco gently helped Haru stand and placed a secure arm around his torso to help guide him. Together they turned towards the door to be met with their audience. The girls seemed to calm themselves slightly and were looking at the pair with adoring eyes, while the Hosts were watching on with curiosity. Kyouya was sending messages away on his cellphone, looking resigned.

"Well what are you all standing around for? Haru needs to get to the infirmary, or would you like him to bleed to death?" Draco snapped in Japanese, ending the endearing scene the group was allowed to witness.

"I already have one of your _personal _doctors waiting in the infirmary for Haru, and a car waiting to take him home." Kyouya informed the foreigner.

"And yet we are still standing here." Malfoy scowled.

As one the group parted, leaving a pathway for the two British boys to walk through. Malfoy led Haru away, and the rest followed a small distance that Kyouya insisted be present. The twins were pestering Kyouya trying to discover who the new person was, Tamaki was unusually silent, Haruhi was reassuring the two girls from her class, and Hani was watching a worried Mori.

In front of them Malfoy was lecturing Haru in English. Attending Ouran meant that majority of the group were proficient in English, and they had been able to follow the conversation between the two boys upon their first meeting. Even now they understood, for the most part, what Malfoy was scolding Haru over- his idiocy. Haru didn't seem to be offended since he merely nodded and answered in the right places to placate the worried blonde. When they reached the infirmary, Kyouya stopped any member of the group from following Haru and Malfoy into the room.

"I think from this point on we should allow them to be alone." Kyouya spoke. "It's late, so I think now is the perfect time for everyone to return home."

"But what about Black-kun?" Momoka asked.

Kyouya turned on his charming switch and lightly captured one of the distressed girls hands into his own, raising it up and placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Haru will be fine with myself and Malfoy-san watching over him. Please don't worry anymore."

A fierce blush spread over Momoka's face. The poor girl couldn't help but nod and agree to whatever the Shadow King said. It was only moment later that Sakurazuka was leading her friend away, both with plans to book an appointment with Kyouya soon.

"So, are you going to tell us who the blonde guy was?" Hikaru asked.

"Yeah, seems you know him rather well, and he knows your cousin quite intimately." Kaoru spoke up, leaning towards the Ootori son with an inquiring look.

"Malfoy-san met Haru when they both attended the same bordering school in Scotland. He is the son of a Lord and will claim his Lordship soon after his 17th birthday." Kyouya answered. "That is all you need to know."

"What? You got to give us more than that. If he's from Scotland how did he get into our club closet?" Hikaru asked.

"I will not answer anymore. For now, everyone should go home. Would any of you like to volunteer to bring Miss Fujioka home?" Kyouya redirected the group.

"We will!" the twins piped up, immediately turning towards Tamaki for a fight.

The Suoh heir, was staring off into space and didn't seem to even register that there was a conversation going on around him.

"Hey King, you okay?" Kaoru asked.

"Hm?" Tamaki turned towards them. "Oh, I'm fine. Thank you for offering to take Haruhi home, I entrust her safety with you two." Tamaki stated, shocking the group.

"Boss… you sure you're fine?" Hikaru asked.

"Yes, I'm perfectly healthy." Tamaki smiled at the group. "I need to discuss something with Malfoy-san so I couldn't offer Haruhi a ride even if I wanted to. Please help her get home safely."

The twins eyed their leader suspiciously and quickly fled with Haruhi before he changed his mind. Hani announced his cheerful goodbyes and left with his cousin, leaving the two second years outside the infirmary.

"Do you think Malfoy-san found anything on your mother?"

Tamaki sighed and leaned against the wall. "Maybe. Last time we spoke, he said he had a number of contacts that could track anyone in the world. I trust him to find her, but… I guess I still have some doubts."

"It may not be the time to ask now, but you can return to Ootori Manor with us." Kyouya offered.

"Thank You."

**Inside the Infirmary**:

The healer had been quick and efficient. But then again, Malfoy would have allowed for nothing less. The man had banished the poor wrappings and with a simple flick of his wand had cleared away all the blood. Another flick, the wound was cleaned, and then an elaborate wand movement later and the wound was stitching itself closed. The man personally wrapped bandages around the wound, the magic needing another 12 hours to fully repair that damage without scarring, and he was done.

The infirmary was stocked with standard uniforms in case anything unpleasant happened to the students clothing during school hours, and so Haru had to simply pluck a shirt in his size out of the large wardrobe. He then ducked behind the changing curtain.

"Mr. Black's injury will be fully healed by tomorrow, but he seems to have a small fever. I will leave you a bottle of fever reducer, and Mr. Black should take a day or two off school. He didn't lose enough blood to require a blood replenisher, but he should eat fruit and yogurt soon, and drink lots of water. He will sleep soundly tonight, that's for sure." The healer explained to Draco. The blonde nodded along, completely serious and respectful towards the man.

"Thank you for coming here on such short notice. I apologize if we pulled you away from anything important or ruined any plans." Draco apologized.

"Think nothing of it. When Ootori-kun called I was only enjoying some light reading." The healer waved off any concern. If the man had actually been doing some light reading Draco didn't care. You don't complain about being pulled away from your spell damage research when someone is willing to pay top galleon for you to take two minutes to heal a scratch. Plus any complaining would only result in Draco looking for a new healer. "I will be off now Mr. Malfoy."

Draco bowed his head and once the pop was heard, he was pulling back the curtain and wrapping his arms around a half dressed Haru. "_You idiot… I was worried_."

"_I was fine. Everyone was just overreacting. The watch said 'medical attention' right? Not 'mortal peril'?"_ Haru tried to reassure. _"You really shouldn't have left Hogwarts."_

Draco rolled his eyes and stepped back. _"Of course I should have. How could I have possibly slept after seeing that? Besides, Dumbledore won't even know that I left, I just need to return to school in a few hours. But for now, we are going to take you back to Ootori Manor and get you to bed."_ Draco directed.

Haru sighed but didn't protest. There was no reason. Resting at the Manor was better than Draco forcing him into a hospital. Haru finished getting dressed and followed his best friend out of the infirmary.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Before leaving for England, Draco had demanded that Haru have the next few days off to fully recover from the ordeal. Although Haru was healed, it still stood that Sakurazuka, Momoka, and the Hosts had seen the seriousness of his injury and no amount of muggle medicine could heal something like that so quickly. Haru would have to stay cooped up in the Ootori Manor, until significant amount of time had passed for the wound to heal 'naturally'. Even then, Haru would wear a bandage and pretend to favour one arm over the other.

Kyouya, completely in the know about magic, had agreed, and already talked to Director Suoh about Haru's absence. The tall bespectacled Ootori son really was on top of everything, and Haru envied his organizational skills. Draco had been satisfied and left promptly before he was caught. It would only be a few more weeks until Hogwarts was on Summer Vacation and Draco would return for a longer visit. Haru was looking forward to it.

The day after the accident, Haru's first visitor was Yasuchika. The younger Haninozuka had glided into the room, and promptly smacked Haru over the head.

"Idiot. You were just getting the hang of Karate and improving and you go off and get injured like this. It will delay your teachings significantly. I had hoped to enroll you into a beginner tournament over the summer holidays, but now it seems hopeless. When your arm is better you will train twice as hard to make up for this lost time." Yasuchika lectured.

Haru pouted at the rough treatment and scolding he received. "It really wasn't my fault. It was an accident." Haru protested.

"That could have been avoided had you not gone to seek treasure." The blonde pointed out.

"I trust in your ability get me back on your carefully compiled schedule despite this setback." Haru tried to console the upset boy.

"Of course I can. It will just mean longer practices at night. You may need to start attending during the Karate club's club hours." Yasuchika tapped his chin with his right index finger as he thought. "Yes, that might be best, since it will also give you experience fighting against people besides me."

"Ya-su-chi-ka!" Satoshi's voice carried through the manor.

The blonde sighed as he heard the familiar yell.

Satoshi burst into the room, and scrambled up the stairs, diving towards Yasuchika. The blonde as quick though and dove under the blankets near Haru, and hid from him. Satoshi stilled as he saw his friend take flight and held back in case he hit Haru. It was bad enough that the Black already had an injured arm, Satoshi wasn't going to hurt him further by trying to teach Yasuchika a lesson.

"What did Yasuchika-san do this time?" Haru asked, moving closer to the center of his large bed so that Yasuchika could wiggle his way up, and not accidently hit his bandaged arm.

Satoshi frowned and aggressively tapped his stick against the floor. "Yasuchika tried telling me that the best way to help an injured person was to feed them ramen, but when I was on my way to pick you up some, I called Taka-bro and he told me it wasn't, and that rest and relaxation was the best." Satoshi ranted, clearly upset about almost being tricked. "Yasuchika should be punished for trying to use your injury to benefit himself."

Yasuchika popped out from under the blanket and glared. "It has broth! It should count. And do you have to turn to your brother for everything? You can't even go out on your own and buy ramen without consulting him?"

"I wanted to know which type was the best!" Satoshi yelled.

"You could have called me!"

"You would have said pork ramen because that's your favourite. Everything is always pork ramen. Whenever you go to a new ramen stand, you always order the pork ramen first." Satoshi threw back.

"Then you could have called Haru-kun. You didn't have to call your brother." Yasuchika put his all into the glare he leveled at the Morinozuka.

"But- that's… Taka-bro is smart and knows stuff like that! Why wouldn't I ask him when he's the wisest person I know?" Satoshi defended his actions.

"Maybe because he's not a god!" Yasuchika snapped.

"Okay!" Haru yelled to get both boys attention. "I think that's enough for now. Yasuchika-san it was irresponsible of you to use my injury as an excuse to eat ramen, and Satoshi-kun, it's not very polite of you to enter my room and not even ask how I am doing before attacking Yasuchika-san."

Both boys blushed in embarrassment, but recovered quickly. Satoshi was eager to jump on the other side of Haru and fret over him. Yasuchika had settled himself down into a more comfortable position, and systemically asked Haru various questions he had copied from a medical website, trying to ensure that there were no complications from Haru's wound.

The rest of their visit had been pleasant enough, and both of them had held themselves back from arguing in his presence again, although Haru could see the pain they were both in from holding everything in. It was just their nature to fight all the time.

The next day, the Host Club had stopped by. Haru wasn't sure why, but he didn't ask. Haruhi was polite and asked how he was faring, and Tamaki had ran to and fro detailing the extensive plans that his father had to renovate that section of the school, so that no harm could ever come to another Ouran student. Kyouya had sat on his couch and worked, the twins were trying to sneakily inspect every corner of the room, and the two third years confused Haru the most. Hani has offered him a piece of cake, which Haru declined, and then went off to eat the rejected pastry. Mori had stood at the side of his bed and checked him over silently. Haru felt lines of heat cover his body wherever Mori's eyes travelled, and it was starting to make him uncomfortable. There was only so much one could fidget before those around them noticed the slight bulge under the blankets. Mori's eyes should be illegal.

Once Haru started feigning tiredness to escape Mori's scorching gaze, Kyouya kicked everyone out and Haru relished in the silence and peace that followed the Host Clubs presence.

The third day Haru started going a little stir-crazy. There wasn't anything wrong with him, but he was still confined to bed, because the Ootori staff didn't know about magic. Kyouya had managed to stop any staff member from trying to replace Haru's bandages by declaring himself Haru's own personal nurse, but it was tedious keeping up the act.

Haru had taken up the fine hobby of tracing the decorative molding in Kyouya's room, when a deep chuckle interrupted his thoughts.

"You look absolutely bored." Haru's head snapped down towards the door and his face lit up. "Hayato-senpai." Haru cheered. "What are you doing here?"

Hayato gracefully walked across the room and up the stairs to the landing with the beds. "Well lunch started and I had been missing my lunch buddy so I came to check on you."

Haru frowned. "You're not skipping school are you?" He asked.

Hayato chuckled again, and Haru silently admitted to himself that it was a very nice sound. "I'm just taking an extended lunch to check on you. I heard that you had a very bad cut on your arm. I came by yesterday but… well the entire Host Club was in the driveway, and I thought I best to come again another day."

Haru smiled at the older boy. "It's a nice surprise. I was getting to the point of plotting a daring escape attempt."

Hayato's eyes lit up with mischief. "Daring escape eh? Something like climbing out the window and making a dash towards freedom, or stealing a maid's uniform and trying to sneak out the side door?"

Haru blushed at the suggestive look Hayato sent him. "Neither!" He protested. "I was thinking more of bribing the butler to get the car ready and then army crawling through the house and around the security camera's until I get into the car and drive towards downtown."

Hayato sat on the bed and leaned close. "And what would you do once you got downtown?" He whispered.

Harry felt the side of his mouth quirk up. "I would blend into the crowd and lose the security that had followed me." He whispered back.

"I have some experience avoiding my own family's security detail; I could help you if you wish." Hayato offered.

"You would help me get out of here?" Haru asked to be sure.

"Of course, just say the word."

Haru grinned. "Okay, but first I need to change out of my pj's."

Hayato was helpful and gathered some of Haru's clothes. Haru changed under the covers, slightly shy about his body, and once finished Hayato was ready, bouncing slightly in excitement.

"Okay, so I think the best bet would be to hide behind me as I make my way through the manor. I'll give you a hand signal whenever I see or hear someone approaching. I text my driver and he has the car out front and the engine going. We should be able to get you out of here." Hayato swore.

Haru took a moment to study the older boys face and how mesmerizing it was lit up with the thrill of adventure. Hayato looked stunning.

"Lead the way." Haru had complete faith in the football player.

o.O.o

The escape attempt went off without a hitch. They had managed to get Haru into the car and past the front gate before security flooded out of the main doors, and black cars sped around the corners of the manor. The chasing cars and giggles urged Hayato's driver on, and the man sped up, racing towards downtown on his masters orders. Haru couldn't keep the wide grin off his face or the giggles at bay from the whole scenario.

Soon enough they were near the shops and the two students slipped out of the car and into the crowds, Hayato had ditched his blazer and tie to fit in more, and together they weaved through the people, hands tightly clasped together, and away from the searching Ootori guards.

"Is there anywhere you want to go?" Hayato asked.

Haru couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he thought. "The zoo," he decided. "I've only been once before and we never go to see the giraffes."

"Do you like giraffes then?"

Haru nodded his head, and blushed a little. "I always thought they were fascinating. Did you know that they are known as the 'warden of the wild'? If other animals see a giraffe running, they run too. Because they are so tall they can see approaching predators and they warn every other animal around. I always wanted to be like that…" *

"Tall?" Hayato teased.

Haru glared at the older boy and tried to tug his hand away. "No, able to help others, even if it a simple warning." He said petulantly.

Hayato squeezed Haru's hand. "I think you're already a pretty good giraffe. You got hurt in place of the girls and that's very noble and I guess giraffe like. Let's go, I think the Ueno Zoo has some giraffes. We can spend all day with them if you want."

Haru's mood picked up as he eagerly followed Hayato through the crowds and towards the zoo.

o.O.o

Tamaki was startled when Kyouya stood straight up in the middle of class and excused himself. It wasn't normal for the Ootori to suddenly leave like that. Kyouya was meticulous about taking notes and keeping his grades to a standard of which his father approved. To leave like that was unheard of, and in such a rude manner as well.

Tamaki's curiosity started bubbling over, and before Kyouya could even slide the classroom door closed, Tamaki was launching out of his seat and following the bespectacled the boy.

"What's wrong?" Tamaki asked as he chased his friend.

"Haru has disappeared, and the security team has been unable to locate him for half an hour." Kyouya explained. "They last spotted him in the downtown area, so I am going there and meeting up with the head of security to be briefed on all the details." Kyouya explained. He wasn't running, merely using purposeful long strides to reach the car waiting for him outside.

Tamaki was struck with a brilliant idea on how to help find Haru. Changing directions, Tamaki called to Kyouya over his shoulder. "I'll meet you there. Text me the address, I'm getting reinforcements."

If you were looking for someone in a crowd, it was best to have a tall person. A tall person like Mori.

o.O.o

Haru took pride in the fact that he wasn't a cruel person. He liked helping people, he liked making people smile, and he tried to avoid hurting anyone. He didn't manipulate people like the members of the Ootori family did. He didn't have an intimidating aura that scared people into submission. He didn't even want to kill Voldemort, but he was forced into the position by Dumbledore and was stuck there by a prophecy and a large army of supporters, admirers, and people out for his blood. Voldemort aside, he tried to be a nice person, so his current situation completely baffled him. Why did the universe enjoying fucking him over like this?

The zoo was amazing. All the animals were fascinating, and better yet, he got to enjoy it with someone as great as Hayato. Together they had visited most of the animals until Hayato finally led him towards the giraffes. The long necked animals captured Haru's attention, but there was still a part of his mind that pointed out that the whole reason this trip was so wonderful was because he was there with Hayato. The football player had cracked corny jokes about the animals 'What do you call a monkey with an elephant on his head? Squashed.' And other such terrible ones.

Over the course of the trip, one thought grew in Haru's mind, and that was that he liked Hayato. He liked him more than a friend, and was attracted to him beyond his physical appearance, like he had been attracted to Mori. He liked everything about Hayato. His corny jokes, his excessive smiling, and carefree laugh all come with this brilliant package that was Hayato.

Haru had sworn to himself that he wasn't going to date, that he was going to focus on getting better and school, but somehow Hayato had wormed his way in, and Haru couldn't stop himself from bravely reaching out and grabbing the older boys hand and holding on tight. It shouldn't have been a big deal considering they had already held hands a few times, although in very different situations, but to Haru it was a big step, a big leap towards regaining that former confidence he once walked around Hogwarts with.

And that was when Kyouya and the Host club descended on the pair and ruined the moment entirely.

Haru must have killed a priest or something in a past life to deserve this sort of treatment. Had he not made of for his former sins by taking care of Voldemort? Did he need to be embarrassed by his cousin, walking in and ruining the moment? Apparently the universe thought he did, because as Haru grasped Hayato's hand and lightly pulled the older boy to face him so he could confess, Kyouya arrived on the scene and pushed Hayato aside so he could personally inspect Haru for any injuries.

"Are you okay? You shouldn't be out of bed with your injury." Kyouya fretted.

Haru sighed. "I'm fine. I hardly need to use my arm to walk around now do I? And what are you doing here?" Haru asked, his tone just a bit snappish, but in his opinion it was justified!

"You disappeared and the security couldn't find you. Why wouldn't I be here?" Kyouya snapped, his hands tightly holding Haru's shoulders to keep him in place.

"I was just enjoying some time out of the house with a friend. That hardly calls for you to bring in the search and rescue squad." Hara stated firmly. He was not going to take this. Draco was over protective enough he did not need his cousin picking on up the British blondes personality too. "I can take care of myself just fine."

Kyouya glared down at him. "If you could take care of yourself you wouldn't have needed to come to Japan in the first place. If you could take care of yourself I wouldn't have needed to call a doctor twice to come and see you since you started at Ouran. No, you can't take care of yourself and that is why I had to put you in karate lessons and give a daily update to Malfoy. Just accept that you need help from others and we can avoid situations like these."

Haru felt like he had been slapped in the face. "_I can take care of myself just fine. I took care of myself for 10 years before I went to Hogwarts, and I did a bloody damn good job of it too considering I haven't died." _Haru yelled, switching back to English in his anger. He really needed to work on his short temper.

"_That was before you got so seriously injured that you were practically kicked out of that world. Now you have no natural means to defend yourself and a bad arm. You can't take care of yourself in the muggle world and you need to accept that. Accept that so you can accept the other problems you have and then you can heal completely_." Kyouya yelled back, exposing his less than pristine side to all those watching.

"_I would heal faster if you would stop smothering me!_" Haru yelled.

"Fine." Kyouya switched back to Japanese. "I will stop smothering you. You can finish up your little date and then you can go back to your apartment. I'll have the staff pack some bags for you and bring them over. Having you live in a separate residence should stop me from smothering you, correct?" Kyouya was back to the cold persona he used daily, and Haru felt the urge to slap that blank face.

"It sounds wonderful, perfect even. I can't wait." Haru threw back, too absorbed in his anger at his cousin and needless mothering. Haru could take care of himself just fine, and he didn't need Kyouya constantly holding his hand and treating him like some fragile china doll. He would prove to him and Draco that he was fine. He didn't need to heal and he didn't need magic.

Kyouya didn't answer verbally. Instead the Ootori son turned on his heel and strode away with a stiff back. Haru watched his progress, and only when his cousin had cleared the corner and disappear did he move.

"Well… alright then." Haru took a deep breath to calm himself. "I'm sorry for that Hayato-senpai." Haru apologized, turning towards the second year.

Hayato seemed stunned by the whole event. "It's okay... I couldn't understand most of it anyways." The athlete chuckled nervously.

Haru felt dreadful.

"I'll understand if you want to stop here for today."

Hayato glanced in the direction Kyouya left, and hesitated. "I don't mind finishing our outing but... shouldn't you make up with your cousin?"

Haru sighed and turned to look the same direction as Hayato and spotted the Host club standing around, eyeing him with various amounts of confusion. Well except Mori, but he was looking at Hayato.

"I probably should. I just wanted to be-" Normal. Haru had wanted to be normal for one day, but with Kyouya's poorly timed entrance with his group of hanger-on's, his illusion had been shattered. He couldn't say that out loud though. If he did then everyone would wonder why he wanted to be normal and why he was abnormal, and really, Haru did not want the headache that would accompany that conversation and his explanations to try to hide magic. No, he couldn't say that aloud. "Can we come again another day?" Haru asked in lieu of finishing his previous statement.

Hayato smiled. "Of course and we can and we can spend the whole time admiring the giraffe's." Hayato promised.

Haru felt some of his frustration melt away at the untroubled smile Hayato gave him. It was like the boy was telling him that they definitely would come again, and not to worry about it.

"Thanks." Haru gave the older boy a sincerely grateful look before running to catch up to his cousin. Hopefully he could catch him and they could work things out. He really did feel dreadful about his fight with Kyouya.

o.O.o

"I'm sorry." Haru blurted out as soon as he walked into Kyouya's room and spotted his cousin sitting on his couch, typing away fiercely on his laptop.

Kyouya sighed and stopped writing. "I'm sorry too. I'm not used to…taking care of others. I may have gone overboard."

Haru smiled and sat beside him. "I may have overreacted too." He admitted, albeit reluctantly. "I just don't like hearing that I can't take care of myself."

Kyouya sat back and turned his body slightly to face Haru. "I know. I would hate to be told I'm helpless as well. I was worried. You had slipped the security team sent to follow you, and although you were only in a zoo, anything could have happened. You are Haru Black here in the muggle world, and with that name there will come lots of attempts on your life.

"Even though I am only a third son, I still have a security detail because you never know what a kidnapper might do for money. I'm not worth as much as my brother's, but I can still catch a large sum. Someone might send someone after you so that they will no longer have to compete with your company for a business contract. We don't know what will happen and that's why we have bodyguards. Do you understand?"

Haru nodded slowly. "I know. You explained this before but… it seemed like it would be exciting to run out of here with Hayato and have fun. But you need to know that I can't be cooped up inside like some animal either. It was only a hurt arm. I wouldn't have died from walking or seeing the outside world."

"The Healer said bed rest." Kyouya pointed out.

Haru sighed. "Yes for the night because of the blood loss. Just one night, not three days."

"Better safe than sorry." Kyouya stated with a firm tone.

"I… I think you did have one right idea earlier." Haru whispered, unsure of how to proceed. "You told me to stay at the apartment, and I think that might be for the best."

Kyouya's shoulders tensed. "And why is that?"

Haru bit the bottom of his lip and fiddled with the skin around his left thumb. "We both need to learn to separate ourselves from the other. You are being too protective and I am becoming too dependent. If I lived on my own…" Haru trailed off. He didn't know how to finish.

"If we lived apart, we would be able to establish an appropriate boundary."

"Yes." Haru perked up at his cousin's great insight.

"I see your point. I am not happy about it and I'm sure Malfoy-san will be unimpressed… but if you think it's for the best than we can at least try it."

"We will still see each other at school, and on Sundays when we have the full day off we can do something together. I will even try to stop by the Clubroom more and see you." Haru happily babbled.

"I guess that means I don't need to call the staff to bring your bags back." Kyouya waved his hand and turned back to his laptop, clearly almost finished with the conversation.

"Wait, you already had my bags sent over?" Haru asked.

"Of course," Kyouya replied simply. "I made the order on my way back to the car while in my state of agitation. Why delay something until later when a simple 10 second call can finish it quickly."

Haru pouted.

"I suggest you leave soon though, before I feel the need to put you back in bed and keep you there." Kyouya threw out.

Haru huffed but got to his feet. "I will see you at school tomorrow. Night Kyo-kun."

"Night Haru." Kyouya whispered, his eyes locked on his laptop screen, not betraying any emotion.

* * *

*I got this bit from a Korean Drama 'Bachelor Vegetable Shop' and I loved it.


	6. Chapter 5

_*Any religious belief or opinion expressed in this chapter is not a direct reflection of my own thoughts or beliefs.*_

**Chapter 5**

The move had been simple enough, just clothes really as Haru didn't have many personal affects. The transition had been the hardest part. Since Haru was 11 years old he had lived with four other boys and had grown accustomed to listening to them snore and breathe at night. The symphony of their sounds lulled Haru into his own sweet slumber, and when summer came and he was enveloped into the silence his own small bedroom presented….well Haru hadn't slept as well. Since living with the Ootori family, Haru had shared a room with Kyouya and the small nightly concert would happen again. Haru would listen as Kyouya fell asleep, and the calm, unworried sounds of sleep would lead him to his own Morpheus. Living alone, that silence pressed down on him, reminding him that he was alone until it was nearly suffocating.

The first night Haru hadn't slept well. The quiet of the apartment and the unfamiliar bed all worked against him, sending little thoughts of loneliness to his mind. As Haru sat up in bed, wrapped in his comforter, the intense desire to call Kyouya and ask him to just leave the phone on as he slept was strong. But Haru held himself back. He needed to get used to this. He couldn't burden his friends or family for the rest of his life because he didn't like the silence. When morning came he sported some bags under his eyes, but he also carried with him the resolve to conquer his problem.

Haru remembered walking between shops in London with Aunt Petunia when they had been stopped by a well dress young man carrying a bible and pamphlets. He asked for a moment of their time but Petunia had harshly brushed him off and walked away. Haru had shied away from the man and received a sympathetic look in turn. "_For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline._ Timothy 1:7," the man sincerely preached.

Haru didn't believe in God. It was hard to believe in the theory that one giant man had created everything around him and watched as every single person on the planet sinned or did good. It would get very tiring, even with the occasional miracle thrown about, and reason stood that at some point God might have just abandoned them all, fed up with the idiots that destroyed what he created or the purists who used his name to justify their radical behavior and cruelty to others they thought below them. It was more logical, in his mind at least, to believe in the group of Roman gods who all worked together and were assigned their own individual area, or in the Native Americans belief of 'The Great Spirit' that a creator had made everything and then basically said "Well here you go, enjoy," and never laid down any limitations. He even believed in absolutely nothing over God, that things were as they were just because and there was no special reason behind it.

Haru may not have believed in God, but he did think that God's followers said some pretty amazing things at times. At the time, Haru hadn't paid much attention to the man, merely stepping further away and running after Petunia, but last night, when his resolve was about to break…the memory came floating into his mind, and the quote rang loud and clear.

A spirit of power, love, and self-discipline sounded amazing. If Haru could achieve that, than he wouldn't have to rely on others so much and feel like a burden. That is why he hadn't called Kyouya, and why during the second night, Haru made a conscious effort to hum to himself to break the silence. He had eventually slipped into a light rest, and come the second morning he looked more refreshed.

The fifth night had been easier. He had spent a large chunk of time with Yasuchika and the younger boy had drilled Haru in the dojo. The training was absolutely brutal, and Haru had never been gladder that Draco had bought an apartment with an elevator. If he had to walk up stairs to get home he might just have cried. As it was, once Haru reached his bed he was out. No humming needed.

After the seventh night, Haru felt a little bit better about the situation. He still got nightmares, heaven knows those probably wouldn't go away for a long time, but he was sleeping better. A combination of humming and Yasuchika had allowed Haru to adjust to the lack of others in his room. Haru had confessed to Yasuchika and Satoshi what was going on and Yasuchika's only suggestion was to train harder.

"Training will help with sleeping?" Haru asked, unsure if his friend's advice was sound, or it was merely Yasuchika enforcing his own harsh training regime on others.

"I will push your body so hard physically that when you go to bed at night you won't be thinking about the silence or anything else. You will only be able to focus on the pure agony your body is, and the exhaustion will naturally take you over and you will sleep," Yasuchika explained in a clinical voice, like he was merely talking about how they could only eat chicken soup for a cold because there was no known cure, and not torture his statement implied.

"Oh…" Haru wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that.

"Just trust me on this," Yasuchika patted Haru on the shoulder.

"When I can't sleep my mother always makes me some tea and sings me a lullaby. You could try that." Satoshi suggested.

Yasuchika snorted. "I'm surprised it's not your brother that does that. I'm sure you would go to him first."

Haru sighed. "Please don't start Yasuchika-san," he begged.

Yasuchika crossed his arms, looking a little put out. "I'm telling you the only thing to do is to train harder."

And the conversation ended there.

Haru kept this up until summer break. He went to school where he would eat lunch with Kyouya, and only Kyouya. He would go to class, talk with Sakurazuka and Momoka, and after school he would either train with Yasuchika or go somewhere with Hayato. Every minute he spent with the athletic second year, Haru could feel himself getting closer and closer to him, but he still hadn't worked up the courage to confess again. The time just never seemed right.

The only negative thing that Haru experienced was the day he received an owl from Draco telling him that his father had invited his fiancée to the manor, and as per his duty, he had to entertain his future wife, thus his visit to Japan had been cancelled for the moment. Instead, he eagerly invited Haru to the manor, telling him that after the first three days, when he had paid an appropriate amount of attention to his fiancée, than he could slip away and spend time with Haru. The visit would also have the bonus effect of Haru learning business from Malfoy Sr. while Draco was charming the future mother of his heir.

Haru decided to discuss the matter with Kyouya, and went to the Ootori Manor for dinner. As soon as he walked inside, he was attacked.

"Ruri!" Fuyumi squealed as she tackled the small youth. "Oh I missed you!"

"Fuyumi-san, it's nice to see you," Haru greeted her sincerely. He had missed the woman, sad that she had gotten married right after he arrived and moved out.

"Oh you will never guess what Tamaki introduced me to." Fuyumi excitedly led Haru through the manor and to the dining room.

"Um…"

"Commoner convenience stores!" The woman exclaimed. "You can buy almost anything at one. I went in one and there was food, cleaning supplies, cosmetics, and other stuff. It's so convenient that everything is there in one small building. Oh! That's probably where they got the name."

Haru smiled at the woman fondly. She was so much like Tamaki in her enthusiasm over commoner goods. Haru knew that the pair talked at least once a week and discussed anything new they had discovered or their surprise and glee over an item they both bought to play with and compare. "I bet it is. Should we join the others now?" Haru asked gesturing towards the dining room doors they were standing outside of.

"There's just boring men in there anyways." Fuyumi stated bluntly.

A cough from inside the doors warned them that they had been heard. Fuyumi didn't even look embarrassed as he pushed the doors open and strode inside confidently, nodding her head in greeting towards her father and brothers. "Sorry we're late, but I had to catch up with Haru."

Haru and Fuyumi took their designated seats, and soon the meal was underway. The usual light conversation passed over the table, everyone answering with short and simple responses. Soon Yoshino, Kyouya's father, focused on Haru.

"Have all the preparations for Malfoy-kun's visit been set?" He asked.

Haru delicately placed his fork down, and wiped the sides of his mouth. "Unfortunately Draco's fiancée is going to Wales to visit him and he had to cancel."

"Do you have alternate plans?"

"Not at this time, sir."

Kyouya took a sip of his water and made a thoughtful noise before saying, "if you wish we could always go to Switzerland. The Ootori's have a chateau there, and since you have never been, now would be a perfect opportunity."

"I don't think that will be possible. The chateau is currently under renovation," Yoshino explained.

"I'm sure I will think of something, sir." Haru reassured the man.

"You don't need to leave the country, Kyoto is lovely this time of year," Fuyumi suggested.

Soon the table descended into a debate about which parts of Japan were best, and at what time of the year. They debated on which areas were better based on nature, shopping, and national monuments. Haru couldn't help but shake his head at the family. They were so different yet still the same.

In two days summer vacation would officially start, and Haru looked forward to it.

o.O.o

Haru was still half asleep as he looked up at the hotel that Haruhi was working at. He had been sleeping when Kyouya had lightly shaken him awake and told him that they would be going on a little trip. His bag was already packed, and Kyouya had simply led the sleepy boy out and into this helicopter.

They landed with the usual theatrics the Host Club were known for, and soon Haruhi was scolding them in her own monotonous way. Haru yawned and walked away, not really part of that group since he was sure the girl would have been fine working at bed and breakfast without the Hosts help.

Looking around the scenery, Haru couldn't help but wake up a little and smile. It was a stunning place and he could understand why it was popular during this part of the year.

"Haru!" Haru turned to see his cousin waving him over to the rest of the group. "We're going to go inside now and book rooms," Kyouya explained.

A sudden thought struck Haru, and a wide grin spread across his face. Taking out his phone, Haru dialed a number that was perfectly memorized.

"Hello." Hayato's voice echoed through the speaker.

"Hey Hayato-senpai. How would you like to keep me company at a bed and breakfast? I was dragged here, and I would prefer your company to the Hosts." Haru asked. He got straight to the point, hoping to have his friend affirmation before they booked rooms.

"Ha ha!" Hayato laughed through the phone. Haru felt something start to coil in his stomach, preparing for something unpleasant. "I would but I promised my girlfriend to pay her more attention over the next week. She's been nagging me about how I spend more time with my new little brother than with her."

It started out as a crack, just a small one in the middle of Haru's happy little delusion, and it slowly grew bigger and bigger as other spider web like cracks started breaking off from the original with each word that Hayato spoke.

"When are you back? I want to introduce you two." Hayato's voice sounded distant, like Haru was under water. The cracks kept growing and growing, nearly covering every single bit of his delusional little bubble until…

"With how much I talk about you, Suzuna says that she feels like you're her little brother too."

Then everything crumbled.

"G-girlfriend?" Haru stuttered out. Kyouya turned around and gave him a questioning look. "You have a girlfriend Hayato-senpai?"

A look of understanding appeared in Kyouya's eyes before his face set into a look of pity. Haru didn't want pity. He wanted to understand this situation. Hayato apparently had a girlfriend, but that's not all, oh no, Hayato thought of Haru as a little brother. Here Haru had been thinking romantically about Hayato and trying everything in his power to gauge whether the other boy would be receptive to his feelings, but it all didn't matter because Hayato had a girlfriend.

"Ha ha!" Hayato's laugh cut through the phone. "I never really mentioned her right? Well I tried not to. I didn't want to be one of those guys that always brags about his girlfriend. I know the guys in the football club have made fun of me for it a few times, so I tried not talking about her around you. I guess I did too good of a job since you didn't know about her at all." Hayato laughed again at the end of his explanation, but Haru really didn't comprehend why. He was still too caught up in the fact that Hayato had a girlfriend.

Looking up Haru caught sight of his cousin's eyes, and something about the boys expression seemed off. Narrowing his eyes further, he watched as Kyouya shifted uncomfortably and turned away. The action sent up a warning flag in Haru's mind.

"I'm sorry Hayato-senpai, I'll have to call you back, I need to ask my cousin something," Haru replied.

"No problem, call me soon, alright Haru-kun?"

"Soon." Haru ended the call, and stalked towards his cousin. "Kyouya…" Kyouya frowned at the use of his full name. "Did you know that Hayato-senpai had a girlfriend?"

Kyouya straightened his posture and faced Haru head on. "I was aware that he had romantic feelings towards someone yes." There was no use in denying it. The other Hosts looked toward them, and Haru saw understanding dawn some of their eyes, and another thought popped into his mind. Had they all known? Except Mori… Mori's whose eyes were filled with fire as he watched the scene with a cold detachment.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Haru asked seriously.

Kyouya sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was going to. The day you ran off to the zoo with him I was going to yell at him for playing with your feelings when he was already dating someone, but then we fought and you insisted on learning things on your own so I stepped back. The more your feelings grew, the more I knew it would hurt in the end, but I wanted you to find out on your own, since you wanted to be independent so badly. "

Haru stepped back as his eyes watered slightly. His heart hurt like the time in fourth year when Ron had betrayed him, turned his back on him for something Haru had no control over. That same pain was back but more intense because Kyouya, his own blood family, was the cause. Kyouya had stepped back and watched and waited for Haru to get hurt by the news of Hayato's girlfriend. Haru couldn't blame Hayato, he knew that the second year was affectionate with everyone he was close to, but Haru had hoped he was different. Apparently, he wasn't… still Haru knew that Hayato wasn't at fault in this. Instead, Kyouya had let him walk right into the definite heartbreak and said nothing .

His heart hurt badly.

But what was worse was that the Host club had stood by and watched as well, knowing what would happen. Sure Haru wasn't exactly close to them, preferring to spend time with his own friends, but the fact remained that six other people knew and had done nothing.

Haru didn't say anything more. He couldn't say anything more. Grabbing his bag, Haru turned around and walked away. There was only one place he wanted to be; only one person he wanted to see currently, and before he could go there he needed a private area to himself. Haru raised one hand and pulled a dragon pendant from under his shirt, and clutched it tightly in his hand. When he reached a corpse of trees, Haru closed his eyes and lightly whispered, 'Dragon's Keep." And he was whisked away.

o.O.o

Draco Malfoy was having a lovely dream. He had just been told that his company had tripled their profits and the Weasley clan was bankrupt and living in a ditch. Draco often had this dream since it was one of his favourite's, so it was understandable that he was frustrated when woken from it before he reached the glorious ending.

A loud pop echoed through the room and abruptly woke the sleeping blonde. When Draco opened his eyes, he let them adjust to the dark before he spotted the sheepish looking boy hero at the end of his bed. "Bloody hell." He mumbled.

His eyes adjusted more and suddenly the sheepish boy hero turned into a puffy eyed sad distraught looking frail boy. Draco didn't even bother saying anything as he moved over and lifted one side of his blankets. He been visited by such a boy before and the best thing he could do at the moment was to just offer comfort. He only did this for Harry Potter though, if anyone else tried to crawl into his bed in the dead of night they would be met with his wand, and a string of volatile curses that just tickled the line of legal.

Draco watched as the boy hero gave a small smile before quickly shedding his clothes down to his pants and he slipped into the bed. Draco grabbed his wand and turned off the alarm he set earlier. His fiancée was meant to arrive at 9am, but he was sure she would understand why he was unable to greet her as per proper custom.

"Potter if you wake me before ten, I will make you weed the gardens of all the Malfoy, Black and Potter properties." Draco threatened. There was no heat to it, and Haru would know that Draco would never actually go through with it… it was just Draco's version of affection.

"Yes Draco," Haru mumbled before Draco felt his warm body settle down near his.

"Now sleep you giant idiotic baby." Draco whispered before he threw out an arm, grabbed Harry's torso and dragged him over gently cradling the upset teen with his body.

o.O.o

When the pair finally got of bed, it was a little past eleven in the morning. They got ready and ate before going out for a day of fun. Draco had stopped in his father's study briefly and explained about his late night visitor and that for the rest of the day Amelia, his fiancée, would spend time his mother. Everything had already been arranged, and Amelia had accepted the new schedule with a small nod and soft smile.

Draco didn't ask him why he was upset but let Harry take his time before opening up. When Harry finally did, he heard the whole tale about this Hayato person, Kyouya's betrayal, the Host Club and Mori.

"So you aren't mad at Hayato?" Draco asked to clarify.

Haru shook his head. "I don't think he knew what he was doing. Besides it was my own fault for hoping. I told myself I wasn't going to date, but I still gravitated towards the first good looking boy that was nice to me." Haru argued.

Draco scoffed as they walked down Opaline Alley, the more expensive version of Diagon Alley. "I think you're being too harsh on yourself."

Haru frowned. "How so?"

"Everyone gets hurt in relationships. It's a part of growing up. You are blaming yourself for not seeing that Hayato had no real affection towards you beyond that of a sibling. But doesn't everyone wear rose-coloured glasses when they first start liking someone? I remember when I first met Pansy. I thought her pug nose was hideous and used to bully her about it. Then we went to Hogwarts, and around second year I had developed a crush on her.

"Suddenly that pug nose that I once picked on her about was cute. Her dimples were the prettiest thing in the world, and I thought her laugh was the most brilliant sound ever heard on this earth."

"You were 12, you didn't know any better." Haru pointed out.

"Quiet and just listen," Draco lightly reprimanded. "Now, as I was saying, things I once bullied Pansy over were suddenly the most beautiful parts of her. Blaise tried telling me that her laugh was like a pig squealing, but I hexed him for his slight against the girl I had hoped to marry. Theo tried telling me that her dimples couldn't distract from her chipmunk cheeks and I had burned his potions essay.

"See, I liked her so much that I looked past the things that should have been a burning sign telling me that she wasn't as great as I thought. It's the same for you and this Hayato boy. You liked him, and so those little touches that were meant to be friendly meant more. You didn't want to see that he was treating you like sibling so you couldn't see it. It's not your fault that you fell victim to the oblivious disease that everyone contracts when they like someone." Draco explained.

"So…" Haru scratched his head as he tried to understand the point Draco was trying to make. "I shouldn't blame Kyouya because even if he did tell me I wouldn't have listened?"

Draco snorted elegantly. "Of course he should have told you. Because Blaise and Theo had been so persistent in pointing out Pansy's flaws I couldn't get their words out of my head so I eventually started listening to them and looking closely at Pansy. Kyouya should have been there with you the whole time, ready to catch you, but instead he chose the path of avoidance. Besides, pointing out chipmunk cheeks is different from pointing out that the person already had someone. Kyouya and his friends should have told you right away even if you wanted independence. I have half a mind to go to Japan right now and hex that idiotic Ootori for his negligence." Draco huffed.

Harry laughed at his friend's agitation and felt immensely better about the whole situation.

Sometimes Harry could not believe that he was best friends with Draco Malfoy, but days like today… he couldn't have pictured a better person by his side.

"Thanks Draco," Haru whispered sincerely.

Draco looked down on him and smirked. "Is that gratitude your way of saying that I have permission to hex him? Because I would so love to go to Japan and remind him that while he may think he's important, there is always a bigger fish. Also I want to look into this Mori person you mentioned. Everything you said about his contradictory, and I don't like mysterious people hanging around you. I think I will need to investigate his motivations and aspirations."

Haru giggled and shook his head. "Maybe another day, but right now we are several feet from your favourite clothiers and I know you would loathe to leave this Alley before getting a new summer robe."

Draco eyed the store. "You're correct. Robe first, hexing muggles later."

And off they went.

o.O.o

Haru was happy to be back in England for summer vacation, especially since he was with his best friend. They spent the remaining vacation doing various things around Europe and having fun, while both undergoing the training they would need to be future lords. Amelia had joined them a few times, and Haru watched the pair fondly as Draco would point out some duty that she could help him with and offered her advice on how to handle him if he got too stressed. Draco was completely dedicated to being a Lord and to his future wife.

Draco was truly a gentleman with Amelia. He would escort her everywhere, be attentive to her needs, and ensured that no matter the conversation she always had a place in it. They were a great match and Haru had to commend Narcissa Malfoy for pairing them. Draco had been upset at first, but once he first laid eyes on Amelia, his opinion was swayed. He could barely greet the petite French girl before he was turning to his father and telling him to sign the marriage contract. Haru was truly happy for them.

At the end of Haru's vacation he was sad to leave. Draco merely waved away the sadness and reminded Haru he would visit soon since he was still on break and had loads of free time.

Haru returned to Japan happy, and ready to face a new semester at Ouran.

But first, he should probably call Hayato back…


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The day after his return to Japan, Haru's class was busy getting everything ready for the Cultural festival. Haru didn't mind since his main role was to be one of the people helping the parents figure out their mystery. The preparations also served as a great excuse to avoid his cousin and the Host Club. Haru wasn't ready to see them yet. Yes, it was probably cowardly and childish of him, but he didn't know what to say to them. He could partially see where they were coming from, but at the same time from his experience keeping secrets usually led to people getting hurt. This time, he was the one hurt.

When he arrived back in Japan it was at the same location here he had left it with his portkey. He had started to dial Kyouya's number but stopped himself. He wasn't ready yet. Instead, Haru called Fuyumi, and asked if she could send someone to come pick him up. The woman had been concerned, but didn't ask any questions and soon enough the Ootori helicopter was landing in the vicinity and taking him back home. Once back at this apartment, Haru called Hayato.

He had spent the helicopter ride planning on how to apologize to the older boy for not calling, but as soon as he heard Hayato's cheery greeting, Haru's speech disappeared.

"I'm sorry! Really sorry. I meant to call I really did but then I went to England suddenly and I couldn't use my phone because-" Haru panicked. First he had startled babbling a barely comprehensible apology to the boy and now he was about to reveal magic to him by telling him that he couldn't call because his phone didn't work in the magical world. Thinking quickly, Haru anxiously rattled off the first excuse that came to him, "I forgot my charger here, and the phones are different in England and I couldn't get a charger that would work, and I'm just truly very sorry."

Haru felt his face burn at the end. He had come up with such a horrible excuse, that he was sure Hayato would call him on it. Haru didn't know if it were true that phones where different in England than Japan or the difference between chargers, but he was sure that Hayato would see though his incredibly bad excuse and be mad at him.

"Haru! I'm glad you're okay. I called a few times but I didn't get though so I was worried. I called your cousin but he only said that you had left somewhere else for the summer. It sucks about your phone, but I can understand that if you couldn't get a working charger it would be hard to call." Hayato's tone was friendly but with a touch of worry.

Haru sat up straight in disbelief. Hayato had believed him? He wasn't mad at him? Well… the thing about bad excuses not working was clearly a myth. Fumbling around for something to talk about, Haru decided to just stick with simple topics. "How are you?"

Hayato's happy chuckle floated through the phone and Haru felt some tension in his shoulders release. "I'm doing fine, but what about you? Something serious must have happened for you to go back to England."

Haru smiled at the boy's concerned tone. It was things like this that had caused Haru to fall for him. Well, only one way to deal with these feelings. "Nothing too serious. I just got a big shock and felt that I needed some space from Japan for a bit."

"Was it the Host Club? You mentioned you were with them before you left. Did they do something to you?" Hayato asked hurriedly.

Haru sighed. "Yes and no. I…" This was going to be hard, but necessary in his opinion. "I had -well have- strong feelings for you Hayato-senpai. I like you a lot." A sharp gasp came through the receiver but Haru pressed on. "I had been working up the courage to confess but then you told me about your girlfriend. I was shocked."

"Haru-kun, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to lead you on." Hayato rushed to apologize.

"It's fine Hayato-senpai. I was the one that took your kind actions out of context. I don't blame you in the least." Haru reassured the second year.

"Was that why you left? You needed to get away from me?"

"No. Nothing like that," Haru stated firmly. "As soon as I heard about Suzuna-san, I looked back and realised that you had only ever treated me like a sibling. I couldn't blame you or be angry. What upset me was that Kyouya and his friends had known about your girlfriend, and they watched me develop romantic feelings towards you without saying anything. That's what upset and me sent me back to England." It wasn't as hard to admit as he thought it would be. Actually, admitting his feelings to Hayato was slightly therapeutic. He felt a bit stronger, like he could see Hayato's face and not get those butterflies and weak knees from before.

"I…those bastards!" Hayato raged. "I'm mad at myself for hurting you, but I'm more upset up them. They really didn't say anything? They let me hurt you like that?"

Haru bit his lip as he tried to figure out how to handle this. "I think they had good intentions at the start to keep it from me. Kyouya had mentioned that I told him I wanted to be more independent, and a part of growing up is heartbreak right? So-"

"That's no excuse!" Hayato interrupted him . "I can't believe them. They talk all the time about doing good and spreading happiness but clearly they also like to spread pain. I can understand why my Captain doesn't like you cousin. He manipulates people and then tries to soothe them over with fancy words and vague explanations. Just because you want to be more independent doesn't mean he should-"

"Hayato!" Haru yelled to cut off his friend. He was flattered over the level of worry Hayato felt towards him, he really was. It reminded him of Draco and those first few months of fourth year, where Draco had valiantly stood up for him to others, and had even kicked Ron in the arse when he got into one of his 'Bloody Rich Popular Potter' speeches outside transfiguration.

"What?"

"Thank you for being so indignant on my behalf but don't worry about it. My friend Draco already helped me with a plan to get back at my cousin. I will be giving him the silent treatment, and when forced to interact with him I will be unfailingly polite and formal," Haru explained.

"Oh," Hayato whispered. "I guess that's easier than convincing the cooking club to cut off Hani-senpai's cake supply for a month."

Haru laughed, and crawled on to the couch getting comfy. He spent another hour on the phone with Hayato talking about possible revenge plots- that he would never follow through with- before he hung up. As enjoyable as the talk with Hayato had been, Haru still needed to call Yasuchika. He was sure the blonde boy would be upset with him too.

Yasuchika hadn't been the most impressed with him, but once Haru explained what happened, Yasuchika had been less upset. They agreed to meet soon, and then it was bed time.

Now here Haru was, trying to memorize all the clues and story lines of the mysteries that the parents would be trying to solve. He had been able to avoid interacting with the twins, but then again, in class the pair barely even recognized his existence. Haruhi on the other hand, kept sending him pitying looks, and tried to approach him a few times, but Sakurazuka and Momoka had stepped in the way and redirected the cross-dressing girl's attention.

Haru was broken from his thoughts when someone rushed in screaming about the central salon and the large event that would take place to win it. When he heard, Haru knew that the Host Club was going to be in the running, but to top it off, the messenger also happily told everyone that the American Football Club was ready to throw a gauntlet at the Host Club's feet. He felt a headache forming. Between his cousin and Tamaki, there was no way the club would withdraw, and Haru could only picture the costumes they would come up with. The club had way too much fun cosplaying. On top of that, Hayato had still been a bit upset with the group, and would no doubt help rally his team to be a bit more vicious than necessary during competition. That will really help their image.

After classes, Haru retreated to the clubroom; he had a message to relay. He wanted to get it out of the way so he could happily execute his plan to ignore them. Walking inside, the group has stilled at his presence before Kyouya strode forward.

"Haru. I had hoped that you would have returned to the manor last night." His tome was friendly, or as friendly as Kyouya would allow in front of others.

Haru cleared his throat and pulled a rolled piece of parchment out of his pocket, while unfurling the parchment Haru exaggerated his movements a little, to fully capture the room's full attention.

"I am coming for you. You will have no warning. No matter how many spies you have, how many connections exist in your notebook, I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, will come and pay you back for the hurt you have caused Haru. Don't try to prepare, because it will be futile attempt. Just know, that I am coming for you. All of you."

Haru rolled the parchment back up again, tied it with a black ribbon, and held it out for his cousin to take. Draco had insisted that Haru personally read out his missive to the whole group, and then reassured Haru that he wouldn't actually do anything. The knowledge that he might show up would cause paranoia and soon wear on the group. They would jump at shadows, hear non-existent noises, and finally break wondering when Draco would be coming. That was revenge enough in Draco's mind.

Message delivered, Haru left without another word.

o.O.o

When Haru entered his apartment, it was to the sight of two familiar people. Yasuchika and Satoshi were calmly sitting in his living room, and by the looks of it, Yasuchika had found his stash of instant ramen.

"You really should not have eaten all his ramen. You are supposed to abstain from your selfish desires!" Satoshi reprimanded the blonde.

"I was testing them to make sure they were safe. We can't have Haru eating bad instant ramen." Yasuchika answered with a dignified pout.

"I think that's a fair argument." Haru spoke up. He was happy to see the two of them after so long.

Two heads whipped towards the doorway where Haru was standing before he was tackled by Satoshi.

"Haru are you okay? I heard about what happened!" Satoshi fretted.

Haru sighed and directed the Morinozuka on to the couch. Haru started from the beginning with Hayato's girlfriend, a modified version of his summer with Draco and finally he described how he didn't talk to any of the hosts except to relay Draco's message. He told them all about how the hosts ignored him except his own cousin and Tamaki, and how frustrated he got when they only started paying attention when it became evident he didn't like them today.

"I know I should be more mature about this but… well..."

"You're not to blame Haru. They had no right to do that, or treat you such a manner. You can act however you like," Yasuchika said as he rubbed the distressed teens back.

"At least you can stay at your apartment and avoid the Host Club. After school, you can come visit us at the junior high and after practice; we can go out and do something. If we work it right, you will never have to deal with them again until you graduate," Satoshi suggested.

Haru smiled gratefully at his friend. "Well maybe not until I graduate…a month?"

"You're too nice, but if you only want to ignore them for a month we can do that too. I will even support you in ignoring Taka-bro, but I don't think he would have stood aside and let you get hurt if he knew. He's not like that. Maybe talk to him first and if he did know than you can ignore him for two months."

Haru frowned, but relented. Satoshi was a good friend, and the least he could do was talk to Mori to help keep the younger boys honourable mental image of Mori intact. "Okay," he agreed.

"Good now let's clean up and get dinner." Yasuchika suggested.

"Ya-su-chika! You just had 4 cups of instant ramen!" Satoshi reached for his stick.

"I'm hungry from training!" Yasuchika protested. And just like that all the tension was broken.

"You'll get fat!" Satoshi punctuated his statement by hitting Yasuchika on the back of the head.

Haru laughed at the scene between the friends. It was relaxing seeing them act as they normally did. o.O.o

Haru had promised to talk to Mori, so the next day while his class was directing the construction workers around, he had snuck away. He staked out the third years classroom and when Mori exited the room alone, Haru followed. The third year walked steadily towards his destination, and Haru struggled a little to keep up with the seniors long strides. Finally they arrived at a male restroom.

Haru hesitated on whether to follow him inside or wait. On one hand he wouldn't want to be cornered in the loo while he was trying to relieve himself, but then again… Mori wouldn't have the opportunity to escape either. Taking a chance Haru walked in to see the large strong back of Mori.

"Excuse me Mori-senpai. Could I talk to you please?" Mori turned slowly, holding a white box in his hands. Haru took a deep breath and forged on. "I know I really shouldn't be asking this and that you have no obligation to answer, but did you know about Hayato having a girlfriend beforehand?"

Mori gave him a long hard stare and soon Haru started to fidget under it. Mori's eyes still had the ability to make his skin feel like it was scorching.

"No." Mori spoke to him for the first time. "If Mitsukuni and I had, we would have told you. You didn't deserve to be hurt like that. We are both upset with the others for allowing that to happen." Haru didn't really have a reason to believe him, but he did.

"I…Thanks." Haru felt better. He was glad he listened to Satoshi. The boy really did know his brother well. "You don't have to worry about Draco's threat or anything. He's not going to do anything. He just wanted to scare Kyouya."

Mori nodded his head slowly. Looking down, Mori stepped forward. "Would you like to meet Pico?"

"Who?"

Mori tipped the boy in his hands forward a little and revealed small baby chick. Haru moved automatically, walking over and softly cooing at the cute little bird.

"I found him and been raising him here. Secretly." Mori explained.

Haru looked up and smiled softly at the senior. This turned out to be a really good talk.

o.O.o

On the day of the school festival, Haru dressed up in the detective suit that the twins handed him. As the third ranked student, he got to sit on a board and help. He didn't mind it too much since they had read all 'mysteries' that needed solving. Their main goal was to hint and direct the patrons in the right direction.

He had a fun time talking with the various parents, was a little surprised when the class president informed him it was time for his break. Since Haru wasn't helping with the Host Club, he was free to check out the other class displays.

Haru wandered around for a bit, before deciding to change and see how his cousin's activity was going in the Central Salon. He wasn't going to talk to him or anything; he just wanted to make sure that the event was going well. As upset as he was, he still wanted his cousin to succeed. He walked into the back room, where the extra supplies were so he could spy, when he saw Mori kneeling on the floor beside a costume. Deciding to slip away before he was noticed, however, Haru stopped when the senior began speaking.

"Just a few more hours and then you can go home Pico-chan."

Haru turned and silently watched the scene from the shadows. Mori was kneeling in front the white box from a few days before. Haru watched as the senior carefully lifted the little bird from the box and stroked the chick's head and back. Haru's fingers tingled as he remembered how soft the chick's feathers were.

Haru was mesmerized by the gentleness that Mori displayed. Haru observed the senior for a few more minutes as Mori whispered soothing words to the agitated chick and when Mori put the chick down and stood up, Haru figured it was time to leave.

Haru moved back but he took one last glance to see Mori removing his shirt. Haru's body froze again as he watched the white button shirt slide off those broad shoulders. Haru's brain was screaming at him 'Bad Haru Bad! Look away. Shirtless Mori is dangerous!' but he refused to listen.

Haru only managed to break free from his trance when Mori reached down to his belt. Haru squeaked before fleeing. Haru made it to the door before a voice stopped him.

"Haru-kun?"

"Um... H-hi Mori-senpai..." Haru gave a slightly hysterical chuckle before turning around.

Mori was still shirtless, but luckily, he still had his trousers on. Haru had a brief thought that maybe it wasn't so lucky, but pushed it away as the senior walked towards him. This was getting ridiculous, he needed to stop thinking about boys.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well I wanted to see how the hosts were doing in the Central Salon. I didn't know you would be here, I am so sorry for bothering you." Haru quickly said.

"Ah."

"Well it looks like they are doing just fine. I'm going to return to my class now." Haru babbled quickly and fled. Haru felt extremely hot, like the school had turned on the heating too high, because no matter where he was, he was sweating. The heat got worse every time he pictured Mori's chest, but Haru refused to believe that he was feeling anything towards the senior. He had already been burned once, he wasn't going to jump into the fire again.

By the time the festival was over, Haru was anxious to get home and take a nice cold shower, and possibly file a complaint about the school's heating. It was summer, the heat should be off!

o.O.o

A week later Haru was surprised when he walked up to the school gates, and found Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai waiting for him. As soon as they saw him, the small senior instantly perked up and bounced over to Haru.

"Haru-chan~" Hani-senpai sang as he latched on to Haru's arm.

"Good Morning Hani-senpai, Mori-senpai," Haru softly greeted them with a small bow of his head. Since they hadn't known, Haru was nicer to them.

"Morning," Mori responded, his dark eyes drilling into Haru's.

"Haru-chan, will you go on a date with me after school?" Hani asked.

Haru's eyes went impossibly wide.

"A-a date?"

"Yes! I found a new cake shop, and want to go and see what it's like. It's no fun when it's just Takashi and me, so I thought that maybe Haru would like to join us. I would have asked Haruhi but she's been spending so much time with Tamaki lately." Hani rambled, his eyes begging. Haru let out a sigh of relief that Hani-senpai had not meant a real date. Haru smiled at Hani and quickly agreed. He was still uneasy around the small senior, but he just couldn't say not to those large pleading blue eyes.

"I guess I could join you after my practice with Yasuchika-san."

Hani's smile went impossibly wide, and Haru felt like he had just walked into a trap. "That's perfect." Hani's eyes gained a satisfied gleam. Yup, he definitely walked into a trap.

When the final bell rang, Haru was the first one out of his seat ready to leave. He was eager to get to Yasuchika and ask his advice on how to handle his brother. Honestly, Haru had doubted his decision all day, and was contemplating feigning an injury to get out of the cake date.

Haru was walking towards the main doors when he heard his name being called, turning around, Haru spotted Hayato coming towards him.

"What's got you so excited?" Hayato teased as he took in Haru's uneasy hand movements.

"I think I did something I shouldn't have," Haru admitted. "Hani-senpai asked me to get cake with him today and I don't know if I want to go."

"Hani-senpai?" Hayato had a bemused expression.

"Yes?" a voice chirped from behind them. Slowly, as quietly and delicately as they could, the pair rotated their bodies to face the new voice. They were met with the sight of a smiling Hani-senpai.

"Ah, Haninozuka-senpai. I was just talking to Haru about your appointment later," Hayato said carelessly. He seemed completely at ease admitting they were talking about the senior behind his back.

"We have a date!" Hani sang as he grinned at them. His expression was as happy as always, but there was that edge of steel that most people overlooked.

"Aren't you the lucky one!" Hayato played along by turning to Haru and addressing his statement towards the Black heir. Haru wanted to hit him.

"Well I should get going… don't want to keep Yasuchika-san waiting," Haru stated, pointedly not looking at either boy.

"And after to the cake shop!" Hani cheered.

"Right, and then to the cake shop. Should I meet you there or…?" Haru trailed off.

"Takeshi and I will pick you up from the dojo."

Haru nodded, wondering what was so important about this cake date.

o.O.o

When they arrived at the cake shop, Haru was impressed. The shop had a very cozy and intimate atmosphere to it, but it was still bright, and airy. Haru didn't know how else to describe it but he really enjoyed it.

They sat down in a booth, where Mori sat across from Haru and Hani beside him, and picked up the menu's provided. Looking over the menu's Haru felt his mouth water at the sight of multiple desserts and pictures. They all looked to delicious he wasn't sure he would be able to choose.

When the waiter came over, Haru was still indecisive, but Hani solved the issue quickly enough.

"We will get one of everything on the menu, and some green tea."

The waiter fumbled slightly with his notepad as he stared at Hani with large shocked eyes, "excuse me?"

"We will get one of everything and green tea." Hani repeated, looking not the least bit phased by the situation. Haru could only guess that he did this often enough it was routine by now.

"Y-yes sir." The waiter stuttered as he walked back to the counter in a daze. Haru could see him explaining the situation to the manager, out of the corner of his eye.

"When the cakes arrive, Haru-chan you can just pick which ones look most yummy, and take them." Hani offered.

"Ah, thank you Hani-senpai." Haru still wasn't quite sure what was going on.

Hani smiled back but then his face turned mischievous. "So Haru-chan...What is your favourite colour?"

Haru was a little curious about the random conversation starter, but decided to just follow along and see where the conversation led, "yellow."

"Any reason why?" Hani prompted.

"It's such a happy colour. How can a person not smile when they think of yellow?" Haru answered.

"Ah" said Mori as Hani nodded his head and smiled.

"And what's your favourite song?" Hani ploughed on with questions.

The waiter returned and placed the tea things on the table. Hani glared at him the entire time for interrupting but said nothing as the flustered worker moved as quickly as he could before leaving.

"Um... I don't really have one I guess." Haru answered, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck, overly curious about Hani-senpai's strange behaviour that day.

Hani adopted a thoughtful look. "Haru-chan, you pick which one you want first." Hani gestured to the cakes, not elaborating on his random questions.

Haru observed the tray of pastries and while he had been indecisive before, a chocolate slice with strawberries on top seemed to call to him. Once he spotted that delicious looking slice it wasn't hard to pick. Mori picked next, and chose a chocolate piece, while Hani pulled the remaining cakes closer to him, as one hand picked up a fork and eagerly started shoveling the baked goods into his mouth.

Following his lead, Haru picked up his fork and took a bite sized piece. He hummed with appreciation at the excellent flavour, and then promptly blushed when he remembered that he was still at the table with Mori and Hani.

Looking up, Haru saw Mori staring at him with a small lopsided smile. Haru blushed again, but cleared his throat and tried covering the entire incident up, "it's very good." He cleared his throat again as he stared at the table.

"Ah." Mori responded but then the senior picked up his own fork, and started eating. Haru gave a small sigh of relief and went back to enjoying his treat. Haru placed the last piece of cake into his mouth and gave another hum of satisfaction. The cake was like a piece of baking art. The pastry chef was quite talented and Haru hoped he could come back again to enjoy more. He just swallowed when a cough brought him out of his confection filled daze.

"So how is my little brother doing?" the small senior asked. His tone was entirely too innocent.

Haru looked at the blond senior in confusion. "Yasuchika-san is doing fine…" How was he supposed to answer that?

"You spend an awful lot of time with him." Hani stated.

"Yes?" Had Hani asked a question? Haru didn't think he did but the blonde gave him a look like he was expecting an answer so an answer came out of Haru's mouth.

"Exactly! So you can tell me why he has been avoiding me more than usual lately." Hani's happy childish tone was no more. It was a trap! Hani had tried to lure him in with cake and innocent questions, but now they were at the heart of the problem. Which was… Yasuchika?

Haru spluttered. "I didn't know he avoided you in the first place." Sure, Yasuchika made a few harsh remarks about his brother, but Haru didn't know that Yasuchika literally refused to talk to Mitsukuni.

"Yasuchika had been treating me normally up until the first day of school. The night before he had a phone call and his actions towards me became more… frigid. Would you know anything about a phone call the night before term started?" Hani asked.

Haru blushed. He knew what was going on. "I'm sorry. I told Yasuchika about my sudden trip to England and he was quite upset with you. I completely forgot to tell him that you and Mori-senpai didn't even know about Suzuna-san. I will call Yasuchika-san and clear everything up."

The following conversation with Yasuchika was difficult at best. Haru had explained to Yasuchika the situation, and instead of apologizing to his brother, Yasuchika had then spat out some very rude remarks about his brother and how he deserved it anyways. Haru had tried covering the speaker so that the seniors wouldn't hear but, Hani's eyes dimmed and Mori looked resigned. Hani then tried getting Haru to reason with Yasuchika but the younger Haninozuka argued with every point Haru repeated. Finally getting fed up with playing the mediator between the brothers, Haru had ended the call.

Suddenly the three were left in a very awkward position.

"Since that's all you called me out for, I think I will take my leave." Haru tried to subtly put money on the table for his piece of cake, hoping to pay and then run away. "I had a lovely time."

Despite the obvious lie, Hani seemed to perk up and revert back to his usual self. "We had a great time too Haru-chan~" Hani sang. Mori nodded his head, once again being completely silent when with Hani.

Haru was starting to stand when his phone rang. Happy to avoid any more small talk with the seniors, Haru flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Haru!" Satoshi's voice came through. "There's a festival coming up and I really want to go and wear our matching yukata, if you agree to go then Yasuchika will go too. Will you come?"

Haru felt Mori's eyes follow him as he left the shop. "Yeah, that sounds great." Haru shuddered as the door closed behind him and the heat of Mori's stare left is body.

o.O.o

It had been two weeks since school started when Draco made a move. It wasn't outright revenge, but it was a simple reminder to the Host Club -minus Hani and Mori- that he was in the wings waiting. It was an actions befitting of Malfoy really, and Haru couldn't help but smile at it.

First period was about to start, and as the teacher entered the room, two owls flew in behind him. Haru recognized them right away as General, and Commander, two of Draco's favourite owls. Both were Great Horned Owls with dark colouring and fierce expressions. When they stared at you head on, they always looked grumpy and mean. The two owls flew into the room, and landed in front of the twins, striking an intimidating picture as they tried to stare down the twins.

"Umm…" Hikaru fumbled. "What do we do?"

The class was silent as they stared at the owls, no one knowing what to do. Well, Haru did, but he wasn't about to tell the twins.

"I think there's something on their legs," Haruhi pointed calmly from between the twins.

Neither twin seemed inclined to remove the note, and after a few beats Haruhi manned up and did it for them. Gently untying the note from the owl in front of Hikaru, Haruhi unfolded the parchment and read it out loud. "Never forget that I am waiting. I will come for you."

The class was silent, even the teacher didn't want to speak after the ominous message.

But one person, one brave soul who loved mystery, couldn't stay quiet. "Wait that's it?" Momoka asked. "There are no other words or maybe even a clue to tell them who sent it?" Momoka stood up from her desk and stalked over to Haruhi, and grabbed the note from her hand. "In manga they always leave extra clues so that the protagonists can follow them and find out who they are."

Sakurazuka sighed. "Momoka-chan, this isn't a manga."

Momoka huffed. "I know but there is someone threatening the Hitachiin twins and as their classmates it's our duty to figure out whom," the girl stated firmly. Haru just knew where this was going. The girl got very passionate about her need for adventure and living life like a shounen manga. Why she couldn't choose a shoujo manga and find a nice guy to fall in love with was beyond him.

"Now, what I can properly deduce from this note is that the sender is quite wealthy. They would need to be in order to train owls like they did. Also this parchment is heavy and is probably from a specialty stationary shop. There is also a family crest on the top, so they are from old money. If we can find the shop where this was bought, we can find the family and the perpetrator."

"You can use one of my family security team members to go find the shop. It would be too dangerous for one of us to go," Oikawa one of the males from the class spoke up. His family ran a security firm that created, installed, and monitored the security system for several wealthy families.

"Whoever it was can be persecuted heavily under my family's judgment." Kageyama another male student spoke up. He was from a family of judges and lawyers.

Haru decided now was the time to step in. "There really isn't a need to go that far," he stated simply as he stood to gather the attention towards him. "Momoka-san, you remember the incident between the twins and me at the start of the summer."

Momoka nodded that she remembered.

"Well my friend from England was a bit more vexed on my behalf and he's the one behind that letter. He's not actually threatening them though. He would never physically hurt someone with his own hands or through other people. He's much more of a crushing your public image type of opponent." Haru was quick to reassure his class that Draco did not in fact hold any ill will towards the twins lest they try and find a way to punish him from another country.

"Oh? This is because of _that_?" Momoka asked. Haru nodded. "Well then there's no need to investigate further, they have it coming." Momoka idly tossed the note over her shoulder and retook her seat, completely composed. Turning towards the teacher, Momoka sent him a sweet smile. "Are we going to start the lesson soon?"

And that was the quick and sweet end to the matter.

o.O.o

The festival turned out to be a very fun and exciting evening for everyone. Hayato had been roped into coming and he brought his girlfriend along for everyone to meet. She was a sweet girl, but once they hit the water games Haru knew exactly why Hayato was drawn to her. Suzuna was highly competitive, and she came ready to win. Her black hair was tied up in a utilitarian bun, her simple white and yellow blouse was practical, and she even wore some well-worn running shoes. Together, boyfriend and girlfriend attacked the games with vigor, each trying to one up the other, and playfully taunting the other.

Soon enough the three boys jumped into the fun as well and started cheering for the dueling couple. When one started losing the three, well two –Yasuchika was enthusiastic to a point- would excitedly cheer the losing party on, encouraging them so they could pull ahead again. When that failed they tried to distract the winning person, and it all descended into an hour of pure fun and silliness for the group.

When Haru's stomach growled, Satoshi took charge, completely used to pushing Yasuchika around when the blonde forgot to eat while training. He placed a hand on Haru's shoulder, and directed him towards some food stalls. Looking around, Satoshi took out some money and bought some octopus balls from the closet stall. He handed the food over, and Haru thanked him profusely before digging in.

Yasuchika stood off to the side and watched them, content for the moment. When Haru finished, Satoshi suggested they look at other stalls and test a little of each because it really had been the first time that all went to a festival. Yasuchika gave a long suffering sigh and tried to whisper to Haru discreetly that Satoshi had in fact been to a few festivals, and the 'first time' line was his excuse to eat all the festival food without guilt. It seemed both boys were gluttons when it came to their preferred food. Haru agreed with a grin, and the trio set off to try as much food as they could. Satoshi had insisted on paying for Haru the entire time, declaring that it was the least he could do since he was dragging him around to try everything, but the smaller black haired boy protested before finally getting crafty.

Haru started jumping in front of Satoshi and paying, or distracting him long enough to replace Satoshi's money with his. Caught up in the emotions of being near Hayato and Suzuna, Haru even went as far as jumping up and kissing Satoshi on the cheek, leaving the boy dazed, and giving him enough time to pay a grinning vendor. Yasuchika watched the entire scene and laughed, impressed that Haru had effectively shut the taller boy up.

When the trio reached a stand selling chocolate covered banana's, Yasuchika decided he would head off and look for the ramen stand, he could smell it and knew it was near. Since Satoshi was enjoying himself with festival food, he wasn't in a position to berate the blonde about self-discipline.

They each bought a banana after compromising and deciding they would pay for themselves the rest of the festival, when they ran into trouble. Haru was walking when two boys roughly shouldered him, causing him to trip and drop his treat. Looking up at the two rough looking boys, Haru saw them grinning down at him.

"I think he scoffed my shoes, what do you think?" Boy One said to his friend.

"I agree. He should pay you for cleaning," Boy Two laughed.

"I think 10,000 yen is about right," Boy One stated.

"The foreigner looks like he could afford it in that expensive looking yukata," Boy Two supported.

Haru glared at the boys. It was one thing to be a jerk, but being a jackass all because Haru was foreign, really made him angry. He had lived through enough prejudice back in England, and he wasn't going to stand for it here, where he was happy.

"You bumped into me and caused me to fall. If I was injured I would force you to pay the hospital fees and your shoes are perfectly fine, don't you dare try to scam me because I'm a foreigner. If anyone is going to part with money over this incident, it is the both of you since you made me drop my treat."

Boy One seemed amused by Haru's words and actually laughed. "Now listen here little brat, you will fork over all the money you have on you, or we will take this somewhere private and beat it out of you."

"Yeah! We'll-" Boy Two started but a hand slamming down on his shoulder interrupted him. The two jerks turned their heads to see an angry Satoshi standing behind them, his stick raised in anticipation.

"Is there a reason you are bothering Haru-kun?" he demanded.

The two jerks seemed to be at a loss of words, and incoherently stuttered out words in no particular order. While a normal Satoshi was a happy boy, the purely angry Satoshi was scary. Boy Two struggled for a moment to free himself from Satoshi's grip, but once he was clear of the angry boy, both gangsters fled.

Haru tried to stifle it but eventually the laugh he was attempting to hide came out. He tried to smother it but recalling the looks on the thug's faces as they saw Satoshi was more than Haru could handle. As he laughed, Satoshi lost his angry expression, until finally he was giving Haru a look of amusement.

"It seems the mood of the festival was broken, shall we go?" Satoshi asked.

Haru looked down at the sad state of his banana and finally stopped laughing. "I think that is a good idea."

Satoshi nodded his head and took out his cell; he quickly typed out a text and sent it off. Together the pair walked away from the festival and down the street until they hit a park. Satoshi sent off another two messages as they waited on a bench. "I just texted Yasuchika telling him where we are so he can meet up with us. I also sent a message to my brother. I will get him to walk you home in case the thugs are waiting somewhere or brought friends."

Haru rolled his eyes. "I think I will be fine walking home alone. I would have handled those thugs just fine."

Satoshi shook his shook in amusement. "You have had some lessons yes, but you're not at a level that you can protect yourself from large groups. At least with Taka-bro there, no thugs will even try to harass you."

Haru laughed softly. "I guess."

"And… this is Taka-bro's last chance to impress you because after that kiss earlier… I may start pursuing you." Satoshi winked at him.

Haru promptly blushed and tried to hide his face from his friend. "Satoshi!" He tried to sound mad, but he couldn't quite muster it up. Honestly, what was he going to do with his friend?

* * *

Well damn… I wanted this done by now but sometimes life is life. It's getting there though. Soon, one or two more chapters and it should wrap up nicely.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"You really don't have to take me all the way home," Haru mumbled, his eyes briefly flitting up and over to Mori.

Haru didn't know that walks could be as awkward as the one he was currently on. There was silence, comfortable silence, and awkward silence. His walk with Mori stretched beyond awkward and into very awkward _'oh dear lord I hope my apartment building comes up soon because I'm about to _burst' silence. It was silence he hadn't even known existed until this very moment when he walked silently beside the tall taciturn third year, and tried to break it.

"Satoshi asked me to," Mori responded simply.

"I know but… It's only a few more blocks I can make it there just fine. I don't want to keep you from anything," Haru tried to reason.

Mori sent him a brief mysterious look. It was a hard look that started at the top of Haru's head and then dragged down his body and back up. It wasn't sexual in any way, but more a scientific inspection that left him feeling bare and raw. "Do you know what quality everyone shares?"

Haru blinked, slightly confused by the question. "Figuratively or literally…?"

Mori sent him another look before looking straight ahead. "Fear."

Ah… he was taking this route.

"Everyone has fear in them, but its how we handle it that shapes us as a person," Mori expanded.

"Don't most people say it's the choices we make?" Haru asked.

"People make choices based on fear. A business man will go with the safer option to support his family and not risk disappointing them, he is scared of what might happen if the riskier plan fails, thus he changed his fortune out of fear," Mori explained.

"Fear works in that instance but what if it's a choice between two schools?" Haru argued.

"A person could choose a school closer to home because they fear being alone if they go too far, or they study harder and choose a more prestigious school because they don't want to live in poverty anymore. Does their fear of loneliness and a poor life not help shape them?"

"I can see your point of view…" Haru stated slowly. Mori sold his opinion well, but the one thing he hadn't told Haru was why he brought it up in the first place. A man like Mori really had nothing to fear, especially when walking down the street with him.

"You are strong. I saw it in your eyes," Mori randomly followed up.

"What?" Haru turned his body to face the other boy more. "My eyes?" Where was this boy going with this conversation?

"Eyes tell a lot about people," Mori explained. "When I look into yours I see a fighter- a very scared and a very tired fighter, but a strong one."

Haru snorted. He had been magically strong once upon a time but now that time was in the past. He didn't trust his magic, he didn't want to touch it, use it, or even remember that he had magic inside his body. He wasn't physically strong, or mentally. He cried like a baby during movies, and instinctively started curling up into a ball when others got angry around him. He wasn't strong, and he was no longer a fighter. Was Mori talking about Haru's past life? The life he escaped from? He didn't understand, because Mori shouldn't know about his past, and he most definitely shouldn't be able to glean his life story from making eye contact. Frustration started welling up, and Haru didn't know how to expel it, since clenching his fists and glaring at the ground wasn't helping.

Mori's eyes dropped to him again and drilled into him causing his step to falter and cement him into the ground. "You will find your strength again one day. Then you will believe me," Mori quietly stated, his step never wavering, his face completely blank, and his voice soft yet commanding.

Haru mentally screamed at how infuriating this man was with his cryptic words and how he followed a vague script that no one else had.

Haru looked away first, needing this spontaneous philosophical conversation about strength and eye magic to be put to an end. Cautiously he kept his eyes adverted as he stepped forward again. What did Mori know anyways? He was muggle who knew nothing of the magical world or Haru's experiences. He was just a kendo fighting idiot with broad shoulders and dark eyes... that in no way could perform legilimency. Mori had no evidence to prove that Haru would find his long lost 'strength'… but a part of Haru wanted him to be right- a part that he had ignored and left in that graveyard when things went horribly wrong.

"And how should I find this hidden strength?" Haru asked with a bit of petulance in his voice. Mori acted like he knew everything, so he should have an answer to this as well.

"Start with walking," Mori said without faltering.

Haru sent the older boy a bemused look. "Walking?"

"If you walk with confidence, then there's not much for you to fear," Mori explained. "You look at the ground and drag your feet with uncertainty. Straighten your back, pull your shoulders up, back, and down and lift your chin."

Haru frowned but listened. He heard a few tiny cracks as he straightened his back, but good posture felt good. He took a deep breath and readjusted his shoulders as he lifted his chin, looking forward towards his apartment building.

"Good, now walk," Mori softly commanded.

Haru took the first step and felt different. He felt a little taller and a bit more confident in his step. Mori may be on to something. The second step felt better than the first, like the second time he flew a broomstick and the memories of the first time came back but with more excitement because he was reliving it again. He took a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth and was surprised to see that his perspective of the world did seem different from walking like this.

Good, now put your hands in your pockets and add a bit of a sway with each step," Mori instructed from behind.

Haru instantly followed the older boys' words. "The small actions shifted things again, but this time Haru felt like he was dancing down the street instead of merely walking. Was this why girls swayed their hips all the time? They were dancing to their own music? Haru decided to test this, and added a small sway to his hips, leaving his hand sin his pockets so they could follow the new motion.

A popular pop song popped into his head and Haru started moving according to the beat, as he got more into it. His head started nodding unconsciously and words quietly slipped from his lips _"now… I start to fly…" _

"Spin…"

Haru lifted his left heel and spun lightly. He felt light, like the pressure on him had lessened. He took a few more steps, singing and dancing to himself, before turning to see Mori silently laughing behind him. The merriment quickly let as his face broke out into a fierce blush.

Mori stepped forward and smiled lightly. The sight stunned Haru. He hadn't known that the third year knew how to smile. "I'm not laughing at you, so please don't be embarrassed. I quite enjoyed the show; I didn't know that you would start to dance on your own. Did you have fun?"

Haru silently nodded, admitting that he had indeed had fun.

"Don't forget that feeling then, and walk with that confidence from now on," Mori instructed.

Haru didn't say anything as he turned and hurriedly walked towards his apartment. He would listen to Mori, but not tonight. He would start tomorrow when the third year wasn't walking with him, in case he made an idiot of himself again. Yup, tomorrow sounded like a great time to start a new walk.

When they reached Haru's apartment building a large hand dropped onto Haru's shoulder stopping him from walking inside. Haru could feel the warmth seeping through his yukata and deep into his skin. Mori turned him, and he looked up into third year's dark and searching eyes. "Haru-kun," Mori started. "I have watched and observed you since the day we met. I know that you are a very broken soul, and you won't start properly healing until you find your inner strength yourself. Don't turn to Kyouya every time for help; believe in yourself to overcome obstacles. Belief is all you need. Just believe in yourself."

Haru opened and closed his mouth several times, not sure what to say. Mori didn't let him talk though; the third year placed a single finger under his chin and pushed his mouth shut. Slowly, Mori leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "You started a healing marathon tonight. I can't wait to see you at the finish line."

Mori stepped back, and walked away. Haru didn't know what to think, his mind was going crazy, his body was feeling hot, and his anger towards the third year was feigning. Unconsciously, Haru raised a hand and lightly covered the spot that Mori kissed. The spot didn't feel any different; it wasn't burning hot, tingling, or swollen. Nothing changed, except…Haru felt that he could stand a little taller, his heart felt a little lighter, and there was a smile on his face that didn't want to leave. An thought was niggling at him, but Haru didn't pay it any attention. Haru turned and walked into his building, his steps light, his back straight, and a sway to his body like he was dancing.

o.O.o

The days following the kiss were different.

Haru would catch himself walking straighter, or pushing his shoulders back without actively trying to. Every time he caught himself, he would think of Mori and smile fondly. The older boy had certainly taught him something unique. Who knew walking could make you feel like a different person. It wasn't even walking anymore. It was his posture overall that was improving, and with his improved posture his affection towards a certain tall, dark, and silent man ran deeper. His thoughts got to the point that even if the professor mentioned something completely unrelated to anything except the course content, Haru was still able to connect that nugget of information to Mori which in turn made him sit up or lift his chin.

He hadn't seen the third year since that night since Mori, and the rest of the seniors, had left for a week-long trip, but he could feel his presence in the school. Walking past the central salon, Haru would remember the storage room and the first time he talked with the third year. Visiting Kyouya had the music room also become easier, his anger towards his cousin disappearing as he thought on all his cousin had one for him to help him after he came to Japan.

Mori had been right about a lot of things that night, and one of them was that Haru couldn't rely on his cousin anymore. That's why he went to apologize. He leaned on Kyouya a lot and never once had his cousin complained. He helped Haru learned Japanese, to settle in, in school, in everything, and Haru had been so quick to be mad at his and ignore him like a child throwing a temper tantrum. Was it fair? No it wasn't. His cousin deserved a special award for everything he had done for Haru, and it was about time Haru learned to be independent again and properly thank Kyouya for everything.

Haru had personally berated himself for only releasing how selfish he was when Mori mentioned not relying on Kyouya. He had been so blind to his own behaviour that he deserved the three hours of personal reflection hat he inflicted on himself and more. It was during his self-reflection that he started to understand what he needed to do. Apologize was on top of that list.

Walking through the Host Club doors was nerve wracking. He had skillfully avoided this room for a long time, but it was now time to forgive and forget. His petty revenge wouldn't accomplish anything, and Haru could feel an end coming, like it was important to resolve this so that when he left everything would be better.

The door effortlessly opened, allowing him entrance. The club activities were in full swing, the hosts were entertaining the girls, music was playing softly in the background, and full desert tray was making its rounds.

"Kyo-kun…" Haru called out, hesitant to break the current atmosphere.

The room, as one, turned towards him.

"Haru-kun, what are you doing here?" Kyouya asked quietly as he magically appeared in front of Haru.

Haru smiled up at his cousin to calm any worries his cousin may harbour. "Do you have time to talk?"

"Of course, what do you need?"

Haru's eyes softened as he looked at his cousin. "I want to apologize for acting like a brat."

Kyouya chuckled and started steering Haru out of the room. "You have no need to apologize then."

"No I need to," Haru persisted. "You have been so great to me, and I never properly thanked you. I was so selfish and then when I found out about Suzuna-san, I got angry and ignored you. I wasn't even that mad to be honest, but I think it was an excuse to get away. A part of me was jealous of you. You have everything… a family, confidence, and you weren't the least bit scared of magic when you learned about it." Haru allowed Kyouya to direct him into an empty room to talk.

"I grew up alone and without anybody there to be my friend. I'm such a pathetic wizard because I'm scared of my own magic. I'm scared that I won't be able to control it anymore and I'm scared that if I use it, I might use it to kill people again. I see you walking around with perfect control over yourself and everything around you and I get jealous. Why can't I be like that? Why can't I be like you? I think I used Suzuna as an excuse to find fault in you to make myself feel better, and that was wrong. I have to apologize for all of that." Haru couldn't look his cousin in the eye.

Kyouya sighed and pulled Haru into a loose hug. "I should have told you, but I did want you to mature on your own. I am partially to blame as well. I knew I was spoiling you, and that I wasn't letting you do things on your own, and I tried to keep you wrapped up in a perfect cotton ball most of the time. I should have let you discover things on your won, but it was nice to have someone rely on me so heavily for once. We both owe the other an apology it seems."

"I love you Kyouya…" Haru whispered as he cuddled closer into his cousin.

"And I you," Kyouya responded. "Now, are you going to return to the manor soon?"

Haru pulled away and nodded his head. "Although I don't want to rely on you as much anymore, I still miss you."

"Good. I'll have the staff go and pack your things and bring them back," Kyouya stated as he started to pull his phone from his pocket.

Haru stopped his hand and shook his head. "I can pack my own things. There's no need to inconvenience the staff. I'll move back in tomorrow okay?"

Kyouya frowned. "Fine. Tomorrow you will return on your own."

o.O.o

Haru entered his apartment and smiled. He loved this place, he really did, but he could admit that it was just another hide away. A place for him to escape everything and he didn't think he could ever call it an actual home. Home…like Hogwarts had been.

Sighing, he pushed that thought away and opened the hallway closet to takeout his suitcases. He dragged the luggage into the room, and threw them onto the bed, opening them so they were ready to fill. The silence pressed down on him, annoying him, grabbing the remote, Haru turned on the tele for from background noise.

"Let's start with shoes first then…"Haru said to himself, wandering over to his closet and staring at the neat row of shoes. He had never owned more than two pairs of shoes before he came to Japan. It had been a learning experience to watch as Draco and Kyouya had lectured him about the uses of different types of shoes, how he couldn't pair the brown shoes with black trousers, and that unless he was going running, Haru was not allowed to wear runners.

"…_and now we will start the final for the 110m hurdles race. The athletes are entering their lanes_." An excited voice carried through the room. Haru turned to the television and watched as eight men bent down and positioned their feet in the metal foot stand on the track. "_The racers are ready…_"

_**BANG**_

He jumped at the gunshot but quickly enough Haru became fascinated as he watched eight men run at top speed and jump over the hurdles. They seemed to fly over them and down the track.

"_Ito in lane five is in first with Fuji in lane 6 close behind him… they are over the fourth hurdle, but oh no! What's this? Shimada in lane two has sped up and is fighting for first place against Ito. The seventh hurdle and Ito and Shimada are neck and neck. Last hurdle and it's…Ito! Ito! Ito! No! Shimada crossed the line first. Shimada takes gold! Ito is silver and Kango in lane seven is bronze. Fuji had a strong start but slowed down near that end and placed fourth,"_ the sports announcer called out as a graphic containing the athletes names and times appeared on the screen.

"_It's been a tough road for Ito to get here, he had a torn Achilles tendon injury and dislocated shoulder after a bad jump in a race earlier this year and only got back on the track six weeks ago, but he seems to be on the right path. We shall see how he does at Nationals next month, by then he should be back in top form. Shimada should enjoy his victory for now, because we know that Ito won't let him stay in first place_."

Haru sat on the bed and stared at Ito as he was presented with a silver medal. He seemed happy enough, and whole heartedly congratulated Shimada when the other stepped forward for his medal. Suddenly a microphone was thrust into Shimada's hands and a person off screen was asking him a question.

"_Well... naturally I am very happy about this victory, but like they said before, Ito won't let me enjoy it for too long. I don't think there's a hurdle out there that Ito won't jump over to take back first place. Next month's Nationals should be exciting,_" Shimada said. Ito had his arm slung over Shimada's shoulder and was laughing along. When Shimada wrapped up his interview, Ito raised his other arm and trapped the gold medalist in a head lock as they walked away. It was… endearing.

Track looked fun.

"_Just to recap everything as they prepare for the women's 100m hurdles, Ito, Masami who suffered a torn Achilles earlier,_" the screen switched to show Ito in a different outfit waiting in the starting position. A gunshot went off and he took off, but stumbled at the start. He kept going and made it over the third hurdle before his left leg went down and crumbled under him, causing him to harshly fall on the track and awkwardly land on his shoulder. The clip showed him rolling over and clutching his injured shoulder, as the medical staff rushed on the track. It didn't look pretty. "_And just six weeks ago he returned to the track, ready to train. He came in second today, a mere 0.3 seconds after Shimada, Shinji_." A replay of the race came up and Haru watched the entire thing all over again, fascinated as the racers methodically ran, jumped, one step, two step, three step, and jump.

Hurdles…the very word made Haru's brain start turning. Hurdles… the ability to jump over any hurdle and succeed… Haru stood up and walked out of the bedroom. He grabbed his school bag and made sure he had his wallet and keys before he left the apartment. A plan started forming in his head and before it left him completely he needed to purchase some things.

o.O.o

"Haru!" Satoshi yelled as he entered the apartment. Yasuchika was right behind him, carrying a bag of snacks they had purchased before coming over.

"In the bedroom," Haru responded.

The pair made their way through the apartment and to Haru's room only to see the high-school student sitting on his bedroom floor surround by coloured paper scraps, scissors, glue, and a diagram of a track. "Whatcha making there?" Satoshi asked, curious to the sudden creativity his friend was showing.

Haru looked up from the track where he had just glued a white number '1' down. He blinked at them before looking down at his artwork and back up again. "Well… I work better with sports analogies I found."

"And…" Yasuchika pushed.

"You know that I'm not all that…together right?" Haru asked hesitantly.

"You're suffering from trauma you said," Yasuchika answered as he sat down beside Haru.

"Yeah, well I have known that I needed to take initiative to overcome it for a while now, and I was watching a track meet earlier and I thought that instead of setting goals and steps that I need, why don't I make it into a race. Like the 110m hurdles. I will write down certain hurdles I need to jump over before I reach the finish line and be better," Haru explained.

Satoshi walked around and sat down on the opposite side of the diagram, impressed with the attention to detail Haru was putting into it. The entire thing was built on a long strip of cardboard that was covered with green poster board. The track was made from construction paper, and Haru had even marked off the different lanes. He even had some standing hurdles off to the side made from Popsicle sticks and skewers, which had words on them like 'Talk', and 'Patience'.

"So you're going to use this track to get better?" Satoshi asked for clarification.

"Yes. When people talk about steps to healing it all sounds too clinical to me and I don't like it. So I figured if it's related to sports I would feel more connected and motivated to get better I guess," Haru explained with a blush.

Satoshi smiled at the sight. "I think that's a great idea."

"Do you have an idea of what each hurdle will represent?" Yasuchika asked as he inspected one of the hurdles Haru made.

"I went online and looked up trauma and the steps people have taken to overcome it and I made a rough list of what I think I need to do. It's not complete though, just a start. I have ten hurdles, so I need ten steps," Haru explained.

Yasuchika picked up a piece of paper and read it over carefully. "Start- Recognize."

"I figure the best start would be recognizing I have a problem and that I need to fix it," Haru informed.

"First hurdle- Talk and apologize," Yasuchika continued to read off.

"I hurt a lot of people by hiding. I should apologize to them for that."

"Second hurdle- Cut my hair."

Haru's hand stilled from where it was smoothing out a number two. "People cut their hair and get a make-over and stuff when they start a new path in their life right?"

Satoshi laughed. "I think only girls do that after a break up," he pointed out.

The black haired high school student frowned before decisively nodding his head. "Then I am breaking up with the scared and helpless Haru Black."

Yasuchika smiled fondly at the Black, before returning to the list. "Third hurdle- Return to England."

"I'm going to confront this head on," Haru stated firmly.

Neither Satoshi nor Yasuchika said anything against that. While they would prefer if their friend stayed, if he needed to return to England, then they wished him luck.

"Fourth hurdle- Therapy." That was pretty self-explanatory so Yasuchika moved on. "Ninth hurdle- Be patient."

"I won't accomplish anything if I rush it. I will wait as long as I need to get better."

"Tenth hurdle- Love magic again…" Yasuchika trialed off. "Magic?"

Haru laughed nervously and looked to the side. "Did I write magic? I meant myself. Love myself again."

Satoshi didn't say anything, not knowing what to say. It didn't seem like Haru meant to write 'myself' but they didn't know what 'magic' meant.

"Finish," Yasuchika pushed on. "Harry James Potter."

"Harry Potter? Who's that?" Satoshi asked, his voice deceptively calm. He knew that he pushed his brother onto a lot of people, but he liked Haru best and wanted the two of them to get together. He didn't want Haru to have some Harry Potter guy waiting for him at the end like a prize.

"It's my birth name," Haru answered.

Satoshi felt relief fill him. There was no other guy in Haru's life. Satoshi reached over and snatched the list out of Yasuchika's hand and picked up the closest writing utensil. He quickly scribbled on the paper and then thrust it under Haru's nose.

Calmly, Haru reached up and took the paper and read it carefully. Satoshi waited, expecting to hear Haru protest, but none came. Instead, Haru was smiling down at the last line, and Satoshi felt hope grow in him. "I don't…see anything wrong with that…" Haru trailed off as a blush fiercely blossomed on his cheeks.

Yasuchika took the paper next and read it out loud. "First place prize: Morinozuka, Takashi. Honestly Satoshi, you're giving your brother away as a prize now?" Yasuchika scolded him.

Satoshi shrugged his shoulders without remorse. "What better prize could there be for finishing a race? Besides, Haru doesn't mind," Satoshi pointed out.

"I r-really don't…" Haru stuttered out. "I was already thinking… about something the same anyways…" Satoshi couldn't help but grin at Haru's statement and blush. He knew something happened when he sent his brother to walk Haru home. Taka-bro had come home smiling and even affectionately ruffled Satoshi's hair when they met in the hallway.

"See! Now I'll make a chibi Haru character for the track. The faster we get Haru on his way the faster he can claim my brother. I don't want some weird harpy lady getting her claws in my brother before you," Satoshi happily stated as he grabbed a blank piece of paper and a black marker.

Yasuchika gave a suffering sigh but picked up some skewers. "I'll finish the hurdles."

Haru beamed at them both, and Satoshi felt really happy that he was helping Haru, even if it was only in a small way. Suddenly, a frown creased Satoshi's forehead as a thought came to him. "You're going to have to announce it to the school the big bro is yours though. If you don't then the girls wont' know to stay away.

Yasuchika chuckled. "What do you expect him to do Satoshi? Commandeer the announcement system and broadcast his intentions?"

Satoshi perked up. "Why not?"

He was met with two groans.

o.O.o

"I made a plan," Haru announced as soon as Kyouya walked into the sitting room. He had called his cousin over earlier to talk. He had spent most of the night finished the track diagram with Yasuchika and Satoshi, and had been very satisfied with their work. Knowing that he now had tentative plan in place, Haru had called his cousin to explain to him what he was going to do. "I can't keep hiding."

Kyouya walked slowly into the room and ran a critical eye over the diagram that sat innocently on the table. His eyes focussed on the third hurdle that was decorated like the Union Jack and had England spelled out on it in white lettering.

"So it's safe to assume that you won't be returning to the manor?" Kyouya asked as he picked up one of the Haru characters. Satoshi had gotten creative and made three of them. The first was of a sad Haru for the start line. It was crying, and wearing black track clothes. The second was a profile of Haru running with determined face. It would mark which hurdles Haru managed to overcome, and was currently waiting before the first one. The third was of a happy Haru with his hand raised in a victory sign for the finish line. To Haru the third one looked like it was wearing a wedding dress, but Satoshi denied it and said that he only gave the chibi baggy white shorts. Kyouya was inspecting the first one.

"Not to a manor in Japan."

Kyouya carefully placed the first character down and sighed. "What can I do to make this easier?" he asked. Haru couldn't help but smile at his cousin for his acceptance.

"Just… hold my hand while I call Draco?"

Kyouya didn't hesitant to walk over and grab Haru's hand, holding it in a firm and comforting grip. "I would be happy to."

Haru nodded and looked to the floor before he straightened his back and lifted his chin. "I will call him, now and get this over with. Delaying it will only make it worse."

Kyouya chuckled and pulled his phone from his pocket. He flipped it open and pressed a number for speed dial. Haru could hear the phone ringing as Kyouya handed it over, and with a shaky hand he took the device and held it to his ear.

"_Ootori, what are you calling me for? I thought I told you specifically that while I'm at school, you should send me a message first and then I will call you when I have a moment. What if I was in class and you called? I can't have my house knowing that I have a piece of magically modified muggle technology on my person. That would ruin my entire reputation, and nothing you could do would repair it_," Draco ranted one the other end of the line

Haru looked towards his cousin and could see the older teen rolling his eyes at Draco's words. "Um… Hey Draco," Harry greeted.

"_Haru_?" Draco stopped his rant. "_Is everything okay_?" his tone changed completely.

Haru smiled at his friend's question. It was reassuring. "I think I'm ready."

"_You sound like a girl confessing to her boyfriend, Black. Ready to what? Ready to go to school, ready to take over the company, ready to admit your undying love of Theo Nott and his ridiculously large d-"_

"Draco! No I'm ready to learn magic again. To be Harry Potter again." Haru yelled quickly before his friend could finish his sentence. He was blushing like crazy and trying to mentally banish the thought of Nott and his…size.

"_Oh_…"

"Yeah, oh… I'm still really scared of my magic and what it can do, but you said something about therapists before and other professionals. I think it's time I tried meeting one."

"_Give me two weeks. I will get permission to leave school and I will go to Japan to help you find the best professionals and then we can set up a schedule so that it works around your school schedule. I will have complete background checks done on-"_

"Actually…" Haru cut him off, "I think it would be best if I returned to Britain."

"_B-britain? You're coming home_?"

"Yes. Hiding in Japan won't help anymore."

"_I will be there in a week_." Draco stated firmly without hesitation.

"Thanks Draco. Not just for this but for everything and staying with me and putting up with my idiocy and tears. You really are a great, no amazing, best friend," Haru whispered.

"_Well naturally. You hardly need to remind me of that, but if you insist on throwing compliments my way, then I will not stop you_." Draco postured.

Haru smiled again. He hoped Draco would never change. "I have to go. I have a hair appointment soon."

Draco's tone turned curious, "_Hair appointment?_"

"_Yeah, I haven't cut my hair since I was 11. I think it's time I let go and start fresh. The start of a new fresh Harry Potter will be waiting for you here in a week_." Haru fingered his hair and smiled fondly at it. It had to go.

"_Harry Potter… I missed saying that name. I think it suits you much better than Haru Black_." A noise that sounded suspiciously like sniffle floated through the line, but Haru chose to ignore it and his own misty eyes. Sentimentality could wait until later.

"I think so too."

o.O.o

Haru took a deep breath, hoping to inhale some courage from the surroundings. Don't those anime characters to that sort of thing? They take in energy from around them to help them overcome the bad guy. Haru knew that they were fictional but he still hoped that the concept would work because he needed some help to get through this. This was the single most nerve wracking thing he had ever done in his young life, and he had done a lot of dangerous stuff. Except, this time he was doing it for himself, which was made it worse. He was doing something because he was being selfish, and not trying to save a school or a group of people that had unreasonable expectations of him. This act wasn't heroic in any way and he could be deeply scorned for it later, but he had to do it because if he didn't do it now then he wasn't sure that he would ever be able to do it.

Satoshi told him to make a big statement, and Yasuchika had said to use the P.A system. He had spent the last week preparing a speech for this very moment and plotting out how he was actually going to get into the office and use the system in the first place. Even if you didn't see it, Ouran had a very elaborate security system in place, which was fitting considering the type of students the school taught. It had taken some creative wand work from Draco to get the office staff out of the room, and occupied long enough for Haru to sneak in.

A week... a week since he built his track, a week since he firmed his resolve, and a week since he started understand all the strange feelings he had around Mori. But it had been two weeks since Mori kissed him, and Haru could still remember every second of that encounter with perfect clarity. Haru raised his right hand up and touched his cheek where Mori kissed him, and he felt some confidence return.

Everything was ready for after this moment. Draco had landed the night before and already had everything ready and waiting for Haru back in the U.K. There were home tutors hired, mind healers waiting, and even an apartment in Hogsmeade for Haru to stay in when he needed away from Malfoy manor. Everything was ready and set, even the plane tickets home, so now Haru just needed to go through with his crazy and ridiculous plan.

Slowly, with trembling hands and sweaty palms, Haru grabbed the microphone in his right hand and used his left to flick on the school wide P.A system. Raising the microphone to his mouth, Haru took another deep breathe while staring hard at the wall in front of him.

"G-good afternoon," he stuttered out. Haru closed his eyes and tried to calm his mind. "I a-am Black Haru, and I have something important to say. I'm sorry for bothering everyone like this, but I hope you will listen." Haru felt the hurricane that was his mind calm down, the frenzied thoughts and doubts slowly fading away as his courage hardened. "I have been scared for a long time, most of my life really. I was scared of my relatives, of what my future would bring, and most importantly I was afraid of living. As I grew I tried to hide it, I didn't want others to know how scared I was. Before I came to this school, I was in an accident and my fear got so bad that I didn't know how to cope. Luckily, I had a great friend at my side and a supportive cousin. I can never thank either of them enough."

"Ugh!" Haru anxiously jumped from one foot to other. That first part had been hard to say but the next part was why he was here, why he was laying himself bare like this. When Haru made the conscious decision to go back to England it was because of this person's words echoing through his head, giving him strength and a new goal- a selfish goal.

"I don't want to be scared anymore. I am going to return home and overcome this and become a person that I can be proud of. I am going to get better, but before I go, there is someone I need to burden with a big favour." Here it was, the moment when Haru would leap off a cliff and hope to survive.

"Mori-san… I love you, and I know that you don't feel the same way, but I want to get closer to you. I want to prove to you that I am worthy of your love, and I want to be the only person you look at. I am not ready to be the most important to you yet, but in time I will, so please wait for me. I will come back and I will make you fall in love with me, so please wait. Don't look at girls or other boys, don't agree to any marriages, and especially don't go somewhere I can't follow because one day I will make you mine." Haru swore with more conviction than he had ever had before.

Haru panted, feeling like he had run a marathon to get that confession out. His right hand dropped a little as it trembled and with a final burst of effort, Haru raised it back to his mouth. "Um…that's all. Please carry on with class," Haru softly announced.

A short flick and the microphone was off, disconnecting Haru from the rest of the student body and putting an end to the first and probably last confession he would ever make. Haru's knees dropped beneath him. His knees hurt as they hit that ground but he ignored it as he buried his face in his hands and tried to fully comprehend the situation. He had really done it…he felt like he was as light as a bird, ready to take flight in relief. He could leave Japan without any regrets and fly home to England to finish healing. It was…surreal.

"Haru…"Kyouya's voice cut through the air, breaking Haru out his bubble.

"Kyo-kun…" Haru lifted his head and looked at his cousin, his mind fuzzy.

Kyouya steadily walked across the room and bent down beside him. Softly, Kyouya wiped the tears off his cheeks. Haru didn't know what kind of tears they were- tears of relief, happiness, sadness? "Come, the car is waiting to take you to the airport where Draco will meet you."

Haru nodded and grabbed his cousin's hand for support. "Do you think he will wait?" Haru wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer, all his insecurities coming back up.

Kyouya pushed up his glances and looked away. "I don't know, but he would be a fool not to."

"If he doesn't…just make sure he's happy alright?" Haru asked.

Kyouya scoffed. "I will make him miserable. Enough of this, it's time to leave Haru."

Haru looked forward; ready to return to him homeland, ready to get better, ready to accept magic again. "Harry," He stated seriously. "I am Harry James Potter, a lord, a saviour, and a wizard. It's time I started acting like it. I can't hide behind Haru Black anymore."

"Harry," Kyouya corrected. "It's nice to meet you."

"And you." Haru dropped his cousin's hand and walked away. He walked straight to the car without looking back. He knew Kyouya was following him, but he needed to stop seeking comfort from the older and taller boy. He had his own strength and it was time to start using it.

"I'll be back soon," Haru promised before getting into the car. Kyouya nodded and closed the door behind him, sending him off for the next stage in his life.

* * *

Just the Epilogue left now.

-BoM


	9. The End

**The End**

Groaning, Mori tightened his arms around the body lying on him. It was too early in the morning to wake up, but he had to go over the presentation details at the office. Working at Mitsukuni's cake company had its benefits, but with the new store opening in Seoul soon, Mori had to put in extra time to have everything ready for the investors.

The body moved in his arms, and Mori opened his eyes reluctantly. Looking down at the messy head of hair, he couldn't keep the smile off his face. It had been a year since he reconnected with this man and he didn't regret it.

"Harry," Mori's voice was rough from sleep, but the tone seemed to make the other man stir.

Harry wiggled a little before stretching out and blinking his eyes open. Mori stared straight into those dark green eyes and fell completely into the other man's spell. But not a real spell, Harry had promised to never use magic on him when he told Mori about being a wizard, but a spell of desire and love. He truly loved this man, but a part of him knew that since the day they met.

"Come on love, we need to get up." Harry shook his head, denying the need to leave the bed. Mori smiled tenderly at the action and gently poke him in the side. "Up," he softly commanded.

"If I knew you were this evil I never would have come back to you," Harry pouted.

Mori's chest rumbled as he chuckled at his boyfriend. "You couldn't stay away then and you won't be able to stay away now," he teased.

"True…" Harry nuzzled Mori's neck as he spoke.

Mori sighed in contentment, and thought back to a year ago when they saw each other again.

_**One Year Earlier**_

Mori hadn't expected to see Harry when he arrived for the wedding, but it was a pleasant surprise. It wasn't hard to recognize Kyouya's cousin, even after six years, because Mori had built himself a very strong image of the boy –now a man- in his mind. It had started as a small interest when he first walked into the Host Clubroom, and grew stronger with each meeting, until it grew to a point where Mori had to work hard to look away from the fascinating teenager that was Harry Potter.

His interest was only fueled by Satoshi , since his brother would return home after visiting Harry and lament about all the amazing things he could do. Harry could cook, he could calm even the fiercest of fights between Satoshi and Yasuchika, and if Satoshi were to be believed, Harry could turn water into wine and walk on water.

But then it happened. Harry left. He had gone against all preconceived notions Mori had about him being extremely private and had publically declared his interest in Mori. It had shocked him, very much, but it also made him step back and go over all his observations about the boy.

He had an attraction to him, who didn't? But Mori had theorized that Harry's interest in him had been a passing interest, and despite his big love proclamation, in time, Harry would forget and move on. Mori certainly had tried. He dated a few girls in college, but they never worked out. Mori was fine with this since he had his own goals to achieve and constantly catering to person that wasn't Mitsukuni would only hinder him in that long run. But, when he heard Satoshi say Harry's name in passing, he would wonder… How was the British boy doing? Had he forgotten Mori and moved on? Was he happy? Was he healing? For some reason Mori couldn't bring himself to ask his brother though. It felt like he would be breaking some unspoken agreement that he never made. Even so, after hearing his name, Mori would spend several nights thinking of Harry at night. He would remember his green eyes, his cute little smile, and the way his hips swayed when he danced.

The thoughts and dreams would slowly leave him, and Mori would back to having thoughts about business financials at night and nondescript dreams. This would go on for a few weeks or months, but then Satoshi would turn up again and look at his phone and mutter Harry's name, or recall an old story of the boy, and Mori's interest would be roused again. It was starting to turn into a cruel pattern, and if Mori didn't trust his brother so much he may have started thinking that Satoshi was conspiring against him.

Now here he was, floating around the room as he greeted other guests at Tamaki's wedding, his happiness shining brightly to everyone in the room. Mori couldn't take his eyes off him.

"He arrived last night," Mitsukuni spoke up from beside him.

Mori looked at his business partner and nodded. He didn't need to know how his friend had known who he was looking at, because at this point he knew the Mitsukuni knew him better than anyone else. "He looks good," Mori responded.

Mitsukuni was another change. He had grown and matured over the years, but he still maintained his friendly air. He was serious about their business, but where Mori handle the money and logistics, Mitsukuni was the creative side and cake maker. They had moved past the roles of master and bodyguard, and now stood as equals, which is probably why Mitsukuni said what he did next.

"Some days I think that you aren't worthy of him, but others, I don't think he's worthy of you." Mori sent his friend a questioning look, wondering what he meant. Mitsukuni continued, "From what Yasuchika has told me he has gone through a lot and overcame some great obstacles. Yasuchika really admires him and the way he speaks he's on par with a deity. Do we mere mortals who have had so much in life handed to us deserve someone like that? A god that is on a different level of existence from us?" Mitsukuni eyed the British man but his look wasn't one of worship but slight anger.

"But then I see it from a different angle. Does he deserve you? Even if he won a war on his own or created the heavens, does he deserve you? You are the kindest and most accepting person I know and I worry because I know you still think of him. He left you. He confessed his love but instead of waiting for your response or seeing you in person, he announced it to the whole school and left. Did he not respect you enough to say it face to face? Did he not care how you would feel after hearing such a thing? You are very forgiving but for a long time I couldn't forgive him for leaving you like that. To me it felt like he slapped you in the face… 'I love you but not enough to say it personally or stay,' he may have had his reasons to go but…asking you to wait was too much," Mitsukuni muttered before giving a big sigh. "In the end, you are the most important person to me, and no matter how saintly Harry Potter is, I care about you and not him. I care that you could have been hurt or was hurt from his actions and that made me very angry with him six years ago.

"But then I realized that I shouldn't be mad when you aren't, and that I have to forgive him because in the end it's your choice and my only job is to support you no matter what you choose." Mori placed a hand on his friends shoulder, and Mitsukuni raised his own to cover his. "Choose the path to your happiness and I will be happy with you," Mitsukuni stated firmly before turning away from Harry's direction.

An announcement asking the guests to enter the hall for the ceremony sounded next. Mori looked down at his friend and gestured towards the hall. He wasn't sure what to say to his friend after such words. He was touched but at the same time he was confused. He would need some time to think.

"Go ahead of me. Takeshi. I need to use the washroom before the ceremony," Mitsukuni stated lightly, but Mori could hear the shaky control his friend had over his emotions. Seeing Harry and rehashing those old feelings took a lot out of his friend, and Mori politely ignored the shaky breath and let his friend have a moment alone. Mori hadn't known that Mitsukuni had felt so strongly about the incident all those years ago. He had assumed that his friend had brushed it off with his usual nonchalance, but apparently it had been weighing on the Haninozuka for a long time.

Walking towards the hall, Mori stopped for a moment to find his table on the seating chart before continuing into the banquet hall. It was decorated excessively with probably every rose in Japan, but he really didn't expect anything less from Tamaki. The blonde had called him telling him about how he had planned a whole traditional Japanese wedding ceremony but Haruhi had shot him down and asked why they couldn't just stop after filing their marriage at City Hall. The mere idea had appalled Tamaki so the blonde had conference called all the ex-hosts and complained about it until Kyouya, without any sympathy, had told Tamaki to compromise and have a civil ceremony. Now here he was standing in the doorway taking in all the flowers, the fabric and lace draped from the ceiling, the extravagant centre pieces, and the tall stage with a silver Alter waiting for the ceremony.

As far as compromises went, this was tame for Tamaki. Sitting at his table, Mori was surprised when Harry sat next to him, but he didn't let it show.

"Potter-san," he greeted. His voice was perfectly neutral.

"Mori-senpai…" Harry fidgeted. "How have you been?"

"Good. You?" Mori kept to short sentences wanting to know where Harry would steer the conversation.

"Good, good… better," Harry corrected. "Kyou-kun told me about the successful business you started with Hani-senpai."

Mori nodded. "We have done well."

"Right… I knew you would or that you did. It would be a shock if you didn't. Both of you are so smart and well it's a cake business and Hani-senpai would know the most about cake, it would be impossible for you to fail." Harry quickly sat up and his eyes got wide in fright. "I'm not saying that you would fail without Hani-senpai or anything, I'm sure you would have created a successful business on your own, but Hani-senpai loves cake and-"

Mori lifted a finger and stopped the other man from talking. He was rambling long enough. "I know you meant no offense."

Harry sighed sadly and looked at the table. "I really buggered this up. I wanted to compliment you and then flirt a little and then see if you were single, but now I insulted you and made myself look like an idiot."

Mori felt himself smiling at the pouting man. He was just as adorable as he was years ago. "What would you do if I was in a relationship?" Mori asked. He was curious if Harry would fight for him or give in.

Harry's eyes looked panicked when he looked back at him. "You aren't are you? Satoshi said you were single, I know he's not exactly the best resource but he was positive you weren't seeing anyone when I asked."

"Ah. I do not tell him everything," Mori responded.

Harry lowered his eyes and glared at Mori's chest. "Then I will meet them and show you that I deserve you more than they do. I will fight until you tell me to go away," Harry declared passionately.

Mori was surprised at the determination radiating from the smaller man but he was satisfied. If Harry had backed down, Mori would have dismissed him and considered the last few years wasted by waiting to see the man again. He would not stand to have a weak partner that would crumble under a little hardship. "If you are free tomorrow I would like to take you to dinner."

Harry looked hopeful at his statement, but Mori wasn't promising anything. This man was still a virtual stranger to him, but he was willing to give him a chance. It would also help him close the lid on that part of his life, and hopefully he could move past the memories of Haru Black. It the dinner turned out to further his attraction to Harry then he wouldn't mind that either. The man had really aged well and was a fine looking young man.

"I would love to!" Harry quickly answered. He blushed at his own eagerness and Mori gave him a smile for the action. Tomorrow would be interesting.

They had gone out and Harry had surprised him with all his knowledge and new found confidence. He told Mori all about the long months he spent with a therapist and how at times when it got too hard he had called Satoshi and asked about him. Harry had blushed at that admittance but Mori didn't draw attention to it, wanting the other man to keep talking. The conversation had been pleasant and Mori asked Harry for another meeting.

The second meeting led to a third and then a fourth. Before Mori knew it Harry's possessions started appearing in his apartment and they were getting invites for Mori and Harry, no long Mori plus one, or Harry plus one. They were lumped together as an official couple. One night, when he saw Harry and Mitsukuni joking around together at a small get together of the hosts, he knew it was time. That night he asked Harry to move in with him.

Harry had surprised him though, instead of accepting immediately, Harry told him they needed to talk. Mori feared he misread the signs. Harry then took him aside and told him all about magic. To say he was stunned would be an understatement.

It was from there that Harry fully opened up to him and he learned everything that was hidden before. He learned about the war, Harry's part, and all the events that led up to harry moving to Japan. When Mori didn't show either rejection or acceptance, Harry continued his story by explaining what happened when he returned home, and why he left like he did. In the end Mori didn't understand everything, but he did ask Harry to live with him a second time. It was all he could do because he loved Harry and didn't want to lose him a second time. He would have years together with Harry for him to understand magic, he didn't need to know everything at that moment. He just needed Harry.

_**Present**_

"Are you meeting your cousin today?" Mori asked.

Harry shook his head. "Kyouya is out of town. Satoshi is coming over though; he wants to tell me about his new girlfriend."

Mori frowned. While he had settled down, his brother was known to jump girl from girl, never dating them for long. He claimed it was no use dating them if they couldn't temper Yasuchika. His brother was still fiercely loyal to his best friend after all. "Ask him to stay for dinner; I've not spoken to him in a while."

Harry grinned seductively at him and lazily got out of bed, "I will. Now don't you have work to attend to?" He asked, teasing him.

Mori followed his partner and smiled at the smaller man. "I do, but it can wait for a few more minutes." Mori caught the little vixen before he could escape and drew him into a long kiss, fully possessing his younger lover.

Slowly, Mori drew away and felt proud at the dazed look he left behind. "I love you," Mori stated simply. With a small peck to Harry's cheek, Mori released him and walked into the bathroom. His life was good.

**FIN**


End file.
